


Best laid plans.

by lokiofvanheim



Series: A life's work. [2]
Category: Fantasy AU - Fandom, Loki - Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Loki, F/M, Fantasy, Protective Loki, Protective Thor, Thor and Loki always need a hug., alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-10 22:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 63,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3306386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokiofvanheim/pseuds/lokiofvanheim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor and Loki have got a lifetime of wedded bliss they are keen to start but you know what they say! Even the best laid plans can go astray. Their desire for happiness may not be enough and they will need wits and luck to make it through when Loki's unnatural brother gets involved and she has to make some difficult decisions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Evenings end.

Thor's kisses made Loki's usually sharp brain begin to melt. To get married to the glorious warrior prince of Asgard was one thing but to be married she feared might be something far more difficult altogether. So many new rules to be learnt and so many new people to try to please and her beautiful, robust husband to stand beside were going to be a great challenge she thought and then smiled, just what she had wished for! She almost laughed at the thought of all those cold years when all she had looked for were to avoid her fathers taunts and her ultimate fate that rested in his sometimes violent hands. She lent up into her husband as he bent to kiss her throat and she felt her eyes close to concentrate on the pleasure she felt in every touch. Suddenly she felt a pang of self consciousness and remembered something her more worldly friend (was she being presumptuous to call her friend?) Anne had said that morning

"Blow out the candles." She whispered in Thor's ear as she felt the long curls of his hair fall softly on her hands at his neck. When he did so she felt calmer and her thoughts began to try and remember what else the other girl had said as her husband's warm body pressed against her and she held him close. Kissing Thor was pleasant she had decided almost immediately, strange and intense but definitely a pleasure leaving wherever his lips touched with a tingling memory of it but of what lay beyond she had little knowledge.

As a child she had run and played growing straight and strong in her lonely home with only the silent ogress and what she came to realize were two frightened old servants. Occasionally her father visited and even more rarely a brother with him but apart from them she only saw the guards from a distance on the watch tower which she was forbidden to approach. As she reached beyond childhood and came to the palace she was quickly, brutally trained to silence and soon, as her father's rules of Modesty were ruthlessly enforced, the virtual blindness of dropped eyes closed her off from the lives of others. No chance then to understand the world until she came to the joyous freedoms allowed in Asgard. Feast after famine.

"Shall we go through to the .. the bedroom?" Thor ventured pulling away slightly. He was so charmingly hesitant she thought, smiling fondly in the shadows but then her heart lurched as she thought of his reputation as a rake and fretted afresh at what his expectations of her might be.

"Indeed, I will use your bathroom first, if I may, Lord." She smoothed down her white shift and stood back from his arms then.

"Of course, Loki, but do not forget that what is mine is now yours too." And then she heard the serious tone allow a smile in! " I might just go through and see what treats father has organized to for us eat." She could not resist his good humor and gave him a small smile in return in the dim light.

The room was much larger than that of her old quarters fitting, she assumed, for the prince royal. It had sunken bath that would take a small lake to fill to the rim she thought with a smile as she brushed her fingers along the gray marble surface beside the sink. Loki lent forward to wash the day from her hands and then looked up to see her reflection in the grand mirror that hung before her. She saw the lips of the girl in the mirror curl down as a familiar twist of disappointment ran through her, if she were Thor she thought she would have been the one to blow out the candles before he had to kiss her. Was that why he preferred the shadows of the walkway so that when they kissed he could imagine a fair Asgardian before him instead of her thin pale face? Her father had once said on a particularly angry day that her straight black hair hung like a shroud about the three day dead corpse of a face. She drew hastily away from her image as she would find no comfort there and felt a pang of loss at the thought that Mara would not be there to offer her customary comfort to her either.

"Come on , you fool, even if you die tonight how many would be happy to do so just to have had one day of what you have enjoyed these last weeks?!" she hissed to herself in an angry whisper. She straightened her shoulders and scolded herself for her weakness of spirit, here she was a princess with more liberty available to her than she had ever enjoyed in her life. No father to hound her every breath, no tutor to painfully whip her ankles with her accursed switch whenever she broke Modesty. ankles or feet used because no one would ever see or want to see her skin there. She was a woman now and should not allow herself the luxury of self pity, and she had been bartered for a good price for her country no less! It had been drummed into her all her life that her duty came first and then her father and then country and then and then and then and somewhere way, way down the list of importance came Loki herself. She had always known her place.

In the soft light of the candles Loki noticed that a brush and comb were set at a space at either side of the basin one was golden in color and she picked it up to enjoy its beauty. She wondered at its weight and realized that it was probably so heavy because it was solid gold and not just base metal coated in it, She saw the boar's head of Thor's house and a lion for Thor himself beaten into the soft metal on the back and along the spine of the comb. She placed them carefully back in their place and then looked curiously along at the other set a few feet away before slowly walking over to them she reached cautiously towards them as if they might bite. The girl's breath left her in a short puff of surprised pleasure as she studied the design on the other, lighter brush. Upon the silver a craftsman had carefully engraved the boar but beneath it they had skillfully set jade chips to outline her as the lean running wolf of her mothers clan. She smiled at it and followed its form with a long finger but then thought she heard a muffled footstep outside and stilled. Silence, she had become distracted though and must not keep Thor waiting too long though so drew her new brush quickly to smooth her hair before reverently returning it to its resting place beside the silver comb. Her silver comb she thought brushing her hand over its engraved surface. She glanced reluctantly in the mirror again and saw a thin white ghost with deep set eyes before looking quickly away and going to the door.

It seemed very dark in the ante room without the candlelight but she could just make out her pale dress and the faint gleam of the pearls lying, she knew, with Thor's pretty blue doublet on the low table. she moved carefully along the low edge until its corner then put her hand out towards where she remembered the door to be. Her thought's flitted back as to whether Thor might prefer not to see her when they kissed as he must have extinguished the ones in the bedroom already as well, but she pushed that to a closed part of her mind. Thor was a good man and had always been kind to her and she bolstered herself with that thought.

"Thor?" she called softly," Its terribly dark out here, I thought you promised your mother you would stop trying to kill me?" she said trying to make light of a growing unease in her stomach. "Thor?"

She thought she heard a faint sound over towards the far side of the bedroom beyond so continued to feel her way towards it. Her skin started to feel tight and she could not understand why her gentlemanly husband would make her stumble through an unfamiliar room in the pitch black without at least offering to help. Maybe it was a prank and he was about to jump out suddenly and hold her safe and warm until her heart stopped its pounding! Then they would laugh and cuddle and he might kiss her again to sooth away this growing fear. She took a deep breath to steady her jangling nerves, silly girl, she told herself, he had probably just fallen asleep after a long day. She would be able to watch his handsome face sleeping and then she would awaken him with a soft kiss. Yes, she said firmly to calm herself, if she listened she would soon hear his soft snoring.

The bedroom was nearly as dark as she rested her hand on the door frame and tried to make sense of the room, a little smile visited her lips and she drew in a deep breath, Thors scent hung heavy in the air, sharp and heady.

"Thor?" She ventured again. She could hear rough breathing then a muffled sound of movement, sleeping then! She relaxed at his presence and began to feel her way forward towards the direction of the noises. Then there was a movement further to the right than the last and a curtain moved to allow what must be faint light from outside in, she adjusted herself towards it, a slight frown touching her brow. There she saw a faint silhouette of a large shoulder and long hair in the deep gloom.

"Lord, do not tease, I see you now!" she exclaimed as she made her way carefully towards him. He seemed oddly still as she reached out her hand towards him and she hesitated a moment. Swift as a striking snake a strong hand grasped her round her thin wrist and yanked her towards him. She gasped in shock as she tried to make out his face in the dark. And her head rocked back with the force of the blow which suddenly rattled her teeth and made her slump dizzily towards the ground.

" Modesty, Maid, would you forget the first rule of modesty?!" a gruff voice asked her as she hung in his grip.

+


	2. The garden.

Her head reeled and the words made her stomach churn as she tried to regain her feet despite the painful grip clamped on her wrist. The hand holding her up pulled her higher and then into his broad chest, Loki put her other hand out to try to push him away and she felt the coarse hair of his chest scratch against her palm. She took a deep breath into her lungs to scream and received another resounding slap which drove the air from her lungs in a sharp gasp and made her head ring.

"Please, my lord, how have I displeased you so?" she pleaded as she saw the big hand rise for a further blow as she was dragged through the door and out onto the balcony. The night was still overcast but her eyes had become accustomed to darker, and her skin crawled as she made out the shape of his wide shoulders. Something was very wrong she new but her spinning head could not fix on it and the man only held her tighter and dragged her to her knees before him. It was more of a growl than speech as he spat out one word. "Hurry."

There was movement behind them from within the room and she tried to turn and see who else was there with them. Instead she was pushed back by a bundle of arms and legs bursting through the door and landing on her with a bruising crash. She could barely catch her breath as the writhing mass struggled about her but she did feel something familiar brush her arm in the melee then someone gave her body a great shove out and away from the fray!

"Thor!?" She cried out as her addled brain realized the touch had been his long hair and she thought she could make out his white dress shirt in the scant light. She pulled herself up to her knees and tried to see what was happening, he seemed to be moving oddly and it dawned on her suddenly that his hands were bound. Her heart surged and thoughtlessly she threw herself back into the ruck pulling and scratching at the aggressors as hard as she could to try to help. She had just landed a satisfying kick to a body that was not her husband's when her hair was grabbed and her head was jerked back taking her lean body inevitably with it. Her rump hit the ground at the same time as a thick boot connected with Thor's head with an audible thud and he fell, poleaxed. She cried out and threw herself forward to shelter his head with her body as she saw the pack of them fall on him like wolves. Only a few more blows fell before a big hand drove through them and caught her hair again pulling her under a stinking armpit. The world went spinning again as her captor banged her skull on the rock hard shoulder she was unceremoniously thrown over while he launched himself over the balcony wall . 

"I have her. Jor, take his feet and Borg shoulders. Hurry." Her captor whispered as Thor landed beside half falling half carried and she tried to concentrate on him but her unfocused eyes refused to pierce the darkness. The voice, surely she knew that voice she thought as they were carried and dragged through what she recognized as the formal garden they had so often enjoyed. Her teeth rattled and her hair snagged on the thorns and branches she was carried past upside down like a bag of meal until she was pulled forward and held by her waist against the rough hair of the mans chest as she tried to get her balance. Thor was dumped unceremoniously on the path beside them and she tried to bend down to tend to him but the arm tightened around her waist and when she twisted to escape a gruff voice hissed in her ear.

"Faithful wife are you now? Well, do not fret wife still, not widow I think." The man smirked so close she could smell his rank breath against her face. She looked down again at Thor but could barely see him except the pale shape of his shirt and fair hair. When her captor turned she did as well held so tightly to him as she was and she looked around to try to find anything that might aid them. She saw beyond them the vague outline of the stone walkway high above them and the vague glimmer of rooms that must look out on to the garden she drew a deeper breath thinking to call out to any friendly ears that might be abroad this night. The arm around her squeezed sharply compressing her newly healing ribs and driving the air from her lungs again in a pained gasp. "Silence, bitch." That voice again, her brow furrowed as she struggled to source its almost familiar tone.

"Here!" Another voice hissed out of the dark below them. In the fields, then there were more of these people waiting out there for them!

" Is everything ready?" The man holding her asked in return as she felt him bend over the wall behind her nearly lifting her of her feet.

"Throw them down and we will be gone from here before the fools know we have even arrived!" The smug voice answered.

"Hurry now, lads. Lets get this over and done with." said the man holding her who seemed to be the leader. "Tie the rope tight as you can underneath his arms, he is heavy and we do not want him slipping through it to his death, do we?!" She heard the other two as they worked the rope around Thor's still body then pulled him over and lent him against the ivy that grew thickly over the low wall of the garden boundary.

"Throw the Aesir over if you have that rope well tied." Bylister commanded one of the two who had dragged Thor to the wall." He is heavy but no use if you break his neck so hold tight." He lent over to watch the descent leaning Loki with him as moved. She watched helplessly as her husbands limp form jolted over the wall and disappeared into the dark towards the voices below.

"The Aesir is down, what about her?" One of the two other raiders asked gesturing towards her. Loki tensed at the attention and she felt the arm shift round middle and the head above her dipped as if considering a plan. She tried to twist up to see his shaggy head and she thought she saw a flash of teeth, perhaps in a smile.

" Ah, Milady, what of you indeed?" she felt his attention return to her." Your delicate bones might break if we just let you drop!" He jerked as if to throw her over the wall and she grasped at him instinctively. He let out a snort of laughter."Any one of us could catch you at the bottom I suppose." He said thoughtfully and put a hand up to her head before, to her disgust, in a disturbingly familiar move, he drew his fingers roughly through her hair." However I am not sure if I am ready to trust you in the arms of any of these ruffians yet!" 

"They can be no worse than you, let us go and you may yet escape with your lives!" She said gathering her dignity to herself in an attempt to make him listen. "We are of the royal household and Odin All Father will have his revenge if his son is harmed in any way!"

"Do you not know me now, my white bird? I am as Royal of blood as either of you!" Her stomach dropped and her body tensed against him as at that moment one of the others struck a flint flaring the man's face in its sudden light. She pushed away desperately then trying in vain to break his steely grip on her.

"Bylister!" she gasped in horror turning her hand to strike his face but his broad hand gripped her and his free hand wrapped around her shoulders and came to rest flat on her cheek. 

"That's right, my sweet little sister, you know me now!" and his face pressed forward towards hers." And do you remember that fun little game which we used to play as children?" She felt the hand slide slowly across her cheek." When father found out he beat me senseless and I was never allowed near you again!!" 

Loki writhed in his grasp trying to strike at him with feet or hands and sucking in a breath to scream but his hand finished its slide and clamped tight across her mouth before she could make a sound, She heard him give a throaty little laugh as he pressed her further into his chest, her face held into his hard shoulder.

" I see you do remember! I wonder if it is as pleasurable now as it was then." And she felt with horror as his thumb came up to stroke her cheek before pinching her nose hard between it and his bony knuckle. She could hear his heavy breath even as hers was stopped and wriggled desperately against him. To her horror she could not reach his enveloping grip to loosen it and began to feel dizziness as the hand of the arm pinning her so tightly to him began to rub her side in what could be misinterpreted as comforting circles.

"Shh, shh, white bird, sleep easy." she heard him whispering softly in her ear as, with a shiver, she slipped away into the darkness.


	3. Woods.

The dark was all around her and the overwhelming smells of men and horses and the pounding of hooves were too far beyond her muffled brain to understand. Loki knew, though, that she was safe in the strong arm that held her to the hard muscled body, that the arm held her safe from falling was enough so that when that hand slid over her face she slipped back into the dark again with little resistance.

She ached now, not with a clear idea of where exactly but an all over discomfort that would not be easily denied. Her eyes were reluctant to open to the sharp light and her head ached bitterly. 

Thor!! Where was he?

Her breath sucked in with fear and her eyes flew open in earnest and she looked around her with dismay at the camp the Jotun men had set up. There was a paltry fire leaking a thin trail of smoke up through the canopy of trees below which the company rested and a big half dressed man was stirring a pot suspended above it. She pushed herself up and felt her hands bound and tethered to an ornate black saddle lying beside her by a leather belt buckled tightly round her wrists. The man looked at dispassionately at her as she struggled but rose and moved to shake the arm of another man still asleep near her. That man sat up with a start and turned black eyes on her and she pulled again at her tether. His gaze did not falter as he approached her and he came to stand so close to her bare feet that she drew them in, trying to sink back under the dark cloak she realized must have covered her in sleep. His smile split his dark, bearded face into a sly smile. 

"Loki, Lady Loki," he amended." You have woken then?" His voice belied his rugged features silky and thoughtful while he studied her face carefully. 

"You sound surprised, was that not part of the plan?" She answered with as much dignity as she could muster considering her circumstance and she was pleasantly surprised that her voice sounded strong and did not waiver. She looked unflinchingly into his eyes and asked with a calm clear voice. "Where is Thor? Take me to him."

"Ha, it is true what they say about your eyes then!" he gave a grunt of surprise and then a laugh. "My, you have grown bold, have you not, little bird no more, eh?" He stood back and stretched luxuriously, showing the power in the ripple of muscles on display under the dark skin. " Thor lives yet. He is not so tough as us Jotuns and slumbers still." He nodded over towards a pile of tack and baggage stacked by the horse lines and her eyes followed his. "You were so chilled that you needed the fire's heat but he is big enough to lie out there for the night." He bent towards her and it took all her self control not to flinch away but all he did was loosen the belt from the saddle and let her rise. She ignored her bodies aching protest and mustered as much grace as she could to walk barefooted with him across to the packs.

Loki bit down on the cry that wanted to break from her lips, unwilling to show weakness in front of the dark man but dismayed at the untidy blood stained heap that was her husband. Forgetting the belt still held her to the big Jotun she made to kneel beside him and the jolt of it ran through her as she tried to pull away. She looked up at him with fearful eyes, torn between pleading and holding herself together and he seemed to be debating something in his own head too. After a moment's apparent consideration he stood back a step and dropped the belt freeing her from his hold, she tried to read his face to gauge his mood but his dark eyes slipped from hers without giving anything away. 

Quickly she moved round to Thor's head and dropped down beside him and nearly wept. Her beautiful husband was unmade, his long fair hair clotted with blood and any bit of skin on show sported so the many cuts and bruises from his rough handling that she did not know where to start to aid him. She pulled down his shirt and heaved him onto his back in an attempt to make him at least look more comfortable among the mound of baggage. She placed her hands on his broad chest felt his heart strong and steady which made her own breath come more easily and then ran her hand down his long bones checking for breaks, again she breathed out in relief when she found no harm to them. His breath hitched as she ran it across his body and hurried to check his throat and face. Her bound hands made her clumsy and he seemed to stir a little as she tried to comb his hair away from his unnaturally pale face and as she did so she felt a bump the size of a goose egg under it above his ear gently pressing it to see if his skull was intact. 

"Ow," His voice was gravely and she jumped away from him in surprise." Steady, but it will take more than a knock to my thick skull to finish me off!" She nearly fell on him then in relief putting her long fingers to chin and thoughtlessly kissed Thor joyously before snuggling close into his warm chest. "It is worth any crack on the head for such a sweet awakening Loki." He said stiffly wriggling his own bound hands out from under her and putting them back over her to press her closer into his chest. For a glorious moment they closed their eyes and just lay together. 

"Delightful, prince, very romantic but of little use to either of us considering the circumstances." The dark eyed man drawled behind them. Thor's eyes snapped open and he tried to sit up while still holding Loki close to him, the best he managed was sitting upright with his knees bent in front of him and Loki tucked into the crook of his arm.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Thor glared with a reasonable degree of command considering his condition. The Jotun raised his eyebrows at the tone.

" I want nothing of you, but my cousin has some plans which he will no doubt explain to you when he returns." he said with a wry smile." I doubt you will have very long to wait."

"Your dress is Jotun as is my wife, let her go, she is of no interest to you." Thor tried nodding to the silent girl beside him, but the other shook his head with a rueful smile.

"That is untrue, my cousin has an interest in both of you." He said thoughtfully. " Loki and he are old acquaintances it seems."

"Who is your cousin then?" Thor said his brows furrowing and his grip on Loki tightening. 

" The Prince Royal, Bylister, of course! Did you not guess?" He sounded surprised.

"I hoped it was a nightmare that I saw him." Loki whispered to Thor.

"A nightmare made real, I am afraid, he can be a rough, hasty fellow sometimes, I agree, but he has the advantage of having a king for a father. In Jotun that is a winning card." The other man shook his head ruefully hearing her words.

"And you? Who are you to call him cousin?" Thor demanded. The mans eyes glittered at his tone and Loki saw something in them harden and he remained silent but reached forward towards the end of the belt.

"Please, lord, do not take offence, my own lord is beset with concern." Loki said in a soft voice which stilled the Jotun's hand as she felt Thor's arm hold her near but concentrated on the other man, looking at him closely as he turned towards her. 

"Ah, lady, respectful words from a royal? A jotun royal at that, you were always a strange one!" He said but his eyes somewhat lost their sting as he looked at her.

"Do not speak so familiarly to my..." Started Thor but she pulled at his shirt sharply when the other man tensed again.

"Hmm, your Lady was Jotun's jewel long 'ere she was traded to Asgard do not forget, Prince." he said watching her carefully. The girls smooth brow furrowed. 

"Do you know me lord? Should I know you?" She asked staring at him openly now.

"Ha, any court born Jotun knows you, jewel, you have been part of our high days since you were barely grown! The white diamond!" he said with a snort, then staring at her again. " Bylister called you, the emerald, but none of the rest of us had seen your eyes of course. Now here we are in some Norn forsaken Asgard wood and it has proven true."

"Your name Jotun?" Thor insisted and the clever black eyes turned reluctantly away from the girl and back to him.

"Lord, Asgardian, I am a Lord in my own right! " He drawled and then, as if tiring of a game, said." Lord Aris to you. Now, lady, talking of lords it is time to get you back in your place before his Lordship gets back." He bent down to lift her binding. Thor made to struggle up and the big man tending the fire stood up watchfully and another warrior made himself known from among the trees to their right. "You would take a beating for this, I suppose, but will you risk the maid?" Aris looked at him skeptically. " Bylister has strong ideas about obedience, would you want all three of us pay for this little reunion between the two of you?"

Loki looked at their guards and then back up at Thor and lent up with a brush of lips to kiss his grime streaked cheek." Patience, husband."she whispered in his ear and unfurled as gracefully as her bound hands would allow, balancing on his shoulder. The other man bent to take up the belt but she looked him in the eye with her forest green ones and asked in her soft voice. "If it please you, Lord Aris, I am no cur and would walk where you ask without a leash!"

"Ha, lady, it would be churlish to refuse such a small request from you, but come then, we have delayed long enough." The girl thought she detected an urgent note in his smooth voice and bent to cup her long fingers around Thor's chin and he raised his heavy ones to hers, she lent her forehead against his for a moment. "Lady!" Aris urged and she bent to give and receive a brush of lips from the Aesir before allowing the Jotun to usher her back to her sleeping place. Aris held her elbow steadying her as she sank back to the ground and he crouched tying the leather securely to the big saddle again.

"Obey my cousin, Lady, he will accept nothing less and you may be safer remembering your modesty around him too." He warned watching her as she cast a worried look over to where Thor brooded. She looked up at him again with her cool green eyes and gave him a little nod of understanding. The furthest guard reappeared with a wave and Aris gave her a final look before starting towards him. Shortly after a pair of large, fur clad figures strode out of the trees and made towards the camp, one threw down a pair of rabbits before squatting down to stoke the fire up but the other, familiar giant of a man came to confer quickly with Aris. The newcomer nodded and came towards where she sat, she bowed her head quickly at his approach, Bylister had returned!


	4. Camp.

Loki watched from below dropped eyelids as she heard the heavy footfalls approach and a pair of large black clad feet appeared on the leafmould in front of her. She remained sitting as still as she could and tried imagine that she was a statue, slipping into the familiar ways she had been schooled in for so long, a statue that others could view but not reach out for, inviolate. The boots did not move on however and a rough voice addressed her directly, that was not right, something inside her said, if he was invisible to her then surely she should be to him, that is how it had always been!

"Are you deaf now as well as blind?" The voice grated at her and a coarse hand grabbed her chin and jolted her head up. She heard Thor shout out too far away to help. Bylister was not foul for a Jotun warrior she knew but her stomach recoiled in disgust at his touch and her skin was crawling as if trying to retreat from his as he put his other paw round her throat. "Look at me, sister, when I talk to you, you will give me my due respect!"

"When last we met you bid me remember modesty." She answered glancing up and trying to gather her wits and some of her dignity about her, calming her gaze as she looked into his small eyes.

He looked away first she was pleased to note, dropping his hand from her throat but the one holding her narrow jaw remained. " I will be the one to tell you now what is modest and what is not, make sure you listen carefully." He growled looking over towards where Thor was fighting his bonds. He looked at her with an intensity that was hard to face. "Married or not, witch, you will respect the law of the the house of Laufrey till your end!" he cast her loose as abruptly as he had grasped her and she tried to disguise her shiver as he was distracted and began to stalk over to where Thor was tied. As he went he was followed by the broad jotun who had returned with him with the rabbits, he stared at her as he passed raking his eyes down her so that she tucked her bare feet under her shift at his gaze and avoided his eye. The two strode across the clearing to the prince and stood over him, leaving Aris beside her. Loki struggled to hear what they were saying but could only hear the rumble of Thor's deep voice becoming louder and then she heard Bylister give out a bark of laughter. Thor seemed to become incensed then, futilely straining at his bonds and she pulled at her own to try to go to calm him. Bylister was not one to stand for insolence and struck the Asgardian a great blow with his fist throwing the prisoner to the ground again. Bylister turned away from him and strode back past her with only a sour glance in her direction which she did not return, having her eyes set on her husband who was struggling to get back up. The other, heftier jotun was lingering beside Thor but turned his head to watch his leader leave, she caught his eye and he grinned suddenly and drawing back his boot, viciously kicked the prostrate prince where he lay. Loki's long hand rose to cover her mouth to hold back a cry and she would not look at the smug smile on the broad face but as he brushed between them Aris said in a dry tone.

"Well done, Jor, that's bound to make them sympathetic to our discussions." 

'Jor' snorted dismissively and continued to follow his master and Loki looked fruitlessly over towards where Thor was struggling to sit up again. Aris stood watching him too, arms crossed, he looked down when the girl looked sideways up at him. With a small shrug he walked over towards the prince as he panted in a heap, they stared at each other for a minute or two before the tall jotun bent and put a wiry hand under Thor's elbow and heaved him back to at least sit straight, his back against the baggage. 

"Aris, leave him!" Bylister barked from beside the fire and the dark haired man wandered casually back to join his countrymen cooking at the fire. Thor was looking directly at her from his newly established seat and Loki could see that, to her relief, he was more angry than anything else, his face a mask of frustration as his bonds refused his best attempts to loosen them. She lifted up her hands to show him her own bindings although unlike him her bare feet were at least free and she wrapped her arms around her knees looking forlornly across the gap between them. He stared back at her and she could see the blue of his eyes behind the shaggy blonde mane of hair running wild about his face, he did look terrible she thought unhappily and felt a pang of guilt at what her brother had done to him. She looked around to see if she could find anything to cut the belt but there was only the saddle and a couple of thin blankets within reach, She was only wearing her white shift and regretted her shoes carefully placed in Thor's bath room so many miles behind them, she looked across to Thor and saw the filthy linen shirt he had been wed in and the knees of blue dress trousers. She could not see but hoped he still had the expensive black leather boots he had worn as well in case he had to walk or had the chance to run. Not much of an inventory even between them she thought regretfully.

Jor was suddenly looming over her, his face split in a leery smirk and she looked away quickly. He grunted dropping a bowl of what looked like porridge beside her splashing some over the rim before carrying another over towards Thor who only glared at him angrily, he dumped his portion on the ground too before ambling back to eat his own with his fellow countrymen. Loki shuffled until her back rested against the saddle and hugged her knees looking back across to Thor and wondering if he had any better plan than trying to bruise himself blue by wrestling angrily with the thick rope around his wrists. 

"You will not get food again until night, if then, I would suggest you eat it while you have the chance." Aris stood near her a thoughtful look on his face. She looked down at the bowl and thinking better than to waste it she carefully picked it up and took a sip of the warm gruel, it was salty and on the thin side but she knew she might be glad of it later if what the jotun said was true. She drank half or so of it and then looked up to where the other stood.

"A boon?" she asked looking up to the Lord who raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"A boon, Maid? " he smiled, shaking his head slowly." I cannot release you if that is what you would ask!"

"Nothing so grand, lord, I would ask you to take this to my husband and make him eat both it and his own. He will need it as he is ... " She hesitated to find the right words.

" Always hungry?" the other snorted with amusement." A problem I too am prone to and he is a big fellow especially for an asgardian." he looked across at Thor glowering at them from where he sat." I have been allotted charge of you both by my Lord, but your prince may not agree to eat it, by the look of him." Loki looked across thoughtfully at him too.

" Tell him I lost my shoes, if you would, and might require my favorite form of transportation." She said with a little smile." I think it might encourage him."

Aris took the bowl from her with raised eyebrows and made his way over to Thor. Loki watched them talk and her bowl being offered to him, Thor looked across to her and she wriggled a bare foot at him and tried to force a smile. She could see Aris smile first and then her lord look flustered as he saw her movements and her smile changed to one of real amusement at he obediently quaffed the porridge from her bowl then his own when Aris picked it up for him .

"Thank you, Lord." she said as he returned that way with the bowls cleared but although he glanced at her thoughtfully and gave a nod of acknowledgement he did not tarry and rejoined the other jotuns eating now beside the fire. Loki looked over to Thor and tried to think of a plan to free them and he watched her, trying to think of a plan to free her and every now and again they tried to give the other an encouraging smile to help their morale.

The band soon began to break up their camp and Bylister immediately strode back over to stand in front of her as she looked down at her hands. "We are leaving and if you behave yourself you will ride," he said pulling the belt free of the saddle." If not we will play that game again!" He yanked her to her feet, and without looking at her pushed her in front of him towards where Thor waited. 

"Leave your sister jotun, give her a horse and let her follow the river and she will find one of the farms." Thor said as they came over." I will not fight you then." 

"Fight if you must, but Loki will be staying with us." Bylister jerked her lead shorter and she had to take a step towards him. Thor predictably bristled and Loki looked at him anxiously. "I have told you we will be getting a good trade for you both, the House of Bor's next generation."

"And your father?" Thor growled.

" My Father broke a vow to me," He nearly spat the words out and pulled the girl into his arm without looking at her. " I am a third son and plan to make a future for myself. Loki is my asset now. You are just another." his voice calmed somewhat." Enough talk, Aris deal with him, dear Loki was always very breakable, prince, it will not be you that suffers for any resistance you show." He shouted across to the others to load the horses. Loki looked over to Thor as she was pulled away and his blue eyes were dark with concern, she tried to smile but he did not manage to return it honestly but at least his mouth tried. Aris was saying something to him as he bent to untie the Asgardian's feet and she saw the dark eyed jotun stand up again and offer a hand to stand. Thor was glaring up at the other but he pulled himself up on the proffered hand and watched grimly as his wife was led towards the horse lines by her brother.

The Jotun's were efficient Loki noted as they packed away their kit, in a short time bags were filled and horses tacked up, with the fire doused and dug under divots and covered with a fresh scattering of old leaves. A casual passerby would not even get a whiff of ash and as the tether line was stowed away nothing remained but a scattering of horse leavings and a few hoofprints. Thor's hands were retied behind him by Aris and the fair haired warrior was manhandled up onto a solid looking brown pack horse, his feet secured to the stirrups and the horses reins were held by the Lord Arris as he mounted ready for the off. Loki's wrists were still held by the leather belt as she was pulled to stand beside a tall champing black beast, Bylister was looking at her strangely and after a moments delay held up a flat right hand as a threat with an unreadable look in his eye. She reached up then and put her two hands on to the pommel trying but struggling to gain her balance to allow her to get her bare foot into the wide stirrup. She felt him move to stand too close behind her and his two broad hands clinch around her narrow waist to lift her into the saddle in an undignified scramble before he smoothly mounted behind her. She felt the heat of him at her back as he settled with one of his brawny arms clamping her to him and turned to check that the camp was clear. He lifted his arm to signal his party to move off before turning his horse's big head and urged it forward along that narrow path that would lead them further north into the hills. 


	5. Journeying.

Loki was tired and felt sorry for the horses, and Thor of course. Hour after hour they had ridden through endless trees broken only by a the odd stream from which the horses but not the people snatched a mouthful or two of water. Water, the porridge of the morning had been salty and she was thirsty now but although Bylister used his drinking gourd he neither offered nor did she ask to use it. When the group bunched together she could see Thor trussed to the pack animal and she managed to raise a smile or two but he mostly just stared at her with frustration and dismay evident on his handsome face. She could feel the animal beneath her slowly begin to tire becoming less responsive to its riders demands and as she looked at the others round her they also had the plod of weariness about them too. She hated the feeling of Bylisters body pressed hard behind her and tried unsuccessfully not to move against him as they rode, all she could do was try to concentrate on anything but him. Several times the arm round her waist had loosened, changing its position on her in its tight grip and the big hand had stretched its stiffening fingers a few times before returning to its station. The girl looked at the patches of sky as they showed through the canopy of leaves trying to guess what time of day it was, the light was strong but the shadows were definitely lengthening when Bylister called them to a halt. 

"We have an hour or so till camp, walk and ride till then." he directed and the men slid to the ground not without a few groans and a lot of stretching of stiff muscles. "Him too." He gestured at Thor and Aris nodded as he unkinked his back. Loki felt the arm holding her shift from her waist and up her side and then pause long enough to make her move away from it uncomfortably. His big hand suddenly shifted to take a grip on her elbow and pull her sideways away from him then as she tried to stop her fall but her bound hands could not reach a hold so she slid onto the ground in an ungainly heap. Fortunately her shift was voluminous enough to cover most of her as she landed but she saw a him staring at her with that strange fierce look in his pale brown eyes she scrambled as quickly as she could to cover her feet and legs again. She heard Thor call her name and looked over to him as he was manhandled to the ground, she wriggled herself to sit with as much grace as her stiff muscles would allow until her brother slipped of the horse too and came over his face angry and mouth tight. 

"Get up, witch, you will walk with the rest of us." he said hauling her to her feet by her arm and giving her a shove to start her moving loosing her leash to leave more distance between them. She was unsure why, suddenly he had become so aggressive as he had held her too closely to him all day without hurt but as she started on the path she felt his small eyes on her. Actually it was quite a pleasant change to stretch her long legs away from his body and although she might have wished for shoes she watched the path and was not ashamed at the pace she set. The others fell in too and she dared a glance to see Thor trudging with his ankles hobbled a dozen yards behind her but catching Bylisters unnerving eyes on her she quickly turned her gaze back to the path. Her feet were beginning to tire though before a halt was abruptly called and a big fist quickly pulled her by her elbow and almost threw her into the saddle before swinging up and and leaning hard into her back. She shifted feeling the heat of his skin through her dress as the horse moved under them with renewed energy although the tight grip on her waist made her unable to wriggle free. 

"Keep up all of you." he called out and she felt him jab his heels into the horse's sides. The ride was uncomfortable both physically and because of the rising unease Loki felt in the big man's grip around her, his hand shifted, flattening until his palm was against her stomach as she tried to shrink away from his touch. The sun was down and the light was now thickening but they rode on but slowing occasionally perhaps looking for a camp for the night. The horse surged up a rise which suddenly pushed her back further into him and he jerked as though she burnt him, grabbing a handful of her hair he yanked her away from him. Suddenly she was falling and there was a thudding of the horses heavy hooves around her so she curled instinctively into as small a target as possible and heard Bylister's bark orders as she glimpsed the charger above her give an awkward twisting leap sideways to avoid her body throwing her brother onto the ground with a crash. A string of oaths and the man clambered up still holding the big beasts reins as the others rode up round them and Loki tried to scrabble away from the hooves and still protect her head.with her bound hands. She heard Thor and her brothers shouts along with the thuds and the surge of the panicking horse close to her and outlined above her she saw Bylister striking his beast with his fists and the reins as it tried to shy away. Big hands suddenly closed on her wrists and she was drawn up against the warmth of the broad expanse of a heaving chest, she drew away as strongly as she could, reaching up to scratch at the face before noticing the paleness of the beard. She stilled, then surged forward throwing herself into the welcome heat of her husbands embrace as he stumbled, holding her tightly to back away from the black horse and Bylister.

"Loki!" The jotun bellowed turning away from the horse and pointing a finger at her and she felt so fearful of the hate and anger that he showed as his eyes fell on her and she tried to disappear into Thor's big frame.

"Leave her!" Thor shouted loudly above her although she knew it was bluff.

"Keep her away from me rather. You thrice cursed witch, you did that on purpose. " He spat furiously." You slut, may you bring half as much pain on your new family as you did on your old. Where are you Aris, you idiot?" he said drawing away from them while angrily wiping a line of blood from under his nose. " We will camp here. Tie them up away from us, with the horses. I want nothing to do with that unnatural bitch , you are in charge of them. Borg, Jor, you two help Aris guard the hostages." he stalked off stiffly dragging his still skittish horse behind him. 

She watched him go thankfully and then drew in the comforting sweaty scent of Thor as she pressed her face against him and patting his chest gently with her long grubby fingers. The one called Borg lounged against a tree watching them and paring his fingernails with a large curved knife them.

"You have ruined that lovely shirt your mother had embroidered especially for the wedding." she said through unwelcome tears," I hope she can find it in her heart to forgive you!"

"When I get us home we will beg her pardon and order a new one and you some new shoes too!!" He snorted and tried to stand back from her to see her feet but she would not let him move away so he let her lean against as they watched the jotuns make camp, glad that they were at least together again.

"Over here!" Thor looked over at the call as Borg came towards them and gestured with his knife towards where Jor was standing. 

" You... girl," Jor seemed unsure what to call her, " stand away from him." he ordered. Loki's eyes darted up to his and his own opened a fraction in surprise at her green gaze but he gathered himself together quickly and reached out for her arm. Thor growled deep in his throat and things may have gone badly if a silky voice had not spoken out.

"Lady, if you would see us quickly and well settled before the night closes in then I would ask you to let us complete our task." Aris said calmly as he walked over to them." You will be permitted to sleep near your lady, Lord, but only if we do not garner my masters wrath. I hope I make myself clear, Aesir?" Thor nodded and bent to kiss her dark hair. 

"Loki, Loki, let them do their job if it means we have each other near this night. Stand away a little while there is still light to loosen these knots." Borg came forward eagerly to hold her but Thor's glower stopped him." Stand by him," he nodded towards the tall Jotun lord." he will loosen yours himself. "

"Aye lady, come here." Aris held out his hands and she reluctantly went over and offered her bindings for him to adjust. Borg deftly rebound Thor's hands to the front of him and checked his hobbles were secure then tied his tether to a solid tree that also supported the horse line. He then turned with a leer to take up Loki's hands again. "I have the lady." The Jotun Lord assured when the other guard picked up the thick leather belt to tether her again. He crouched and rummaged in one of the packs piled beside where he stood and drew out a sturdy strap that had been used to secure the horses loads. It was strong but softer and longer than the belt and she recognized it as a kindness as he knotted it to her wrist then secured the other end to another tree near to Thor.

" A guard can watch you both now. No foolishness though, you are only valuable but not priceless to my cousin!" He warned, his dark eyes barely visible in the descending gloom. "Borg, over there." He pointed out a fallen stump out to the soldier who made his way across to take up his post, his eyes still watching Loki as she stood close to Thor's tree ignoring him as best she could.

"Water?" Thor asked of him as the Lord turned to return to the fire and the Jotun nodded. The skin of water Jor threw down between them was snatched up by Thor and he pulled out the stopper eagerly with his teeth, offering it up to his lady's lips first before quaffing a deep draft himself. The stale water tasted like nectar to their dust dry throats and each took a second drink before he closed it. "Slowly, Lady, let it settle or our stomachs will eject it."

The food when Jor brought it, plain though it was, tasted better than a feast to them as they supped from bowls with their imprisoned hands. Although it was hot it was hard for them to be patient enough to wait and blow it cool to allow them to eat without burning their mouths with it." It is good to see you eat so well, perhaps we will go on more picnics when we get home."

"Hunger is the best sauce as they say husband. Have you enough? I can spare some if you wish." Loki asked him after she had had a goodly portion of the pottage. 

Thor made sure she ate her fill swilled down with water then licked her bowl clean along with his own. He looked at her and a wide grin split his face at her own big smile.

"Waste not, eh?" He said putting their bowls away and tucking the water skin in the roots of his tree. "How will we do this my maid? I would at least be awake for my second night of married life." His face saddened at that thought, she saw and she pulled her tether to its limit to snuggle comfortingly in beside him." I fear they may not yet know we are in danger, Bylister knew we would not be missed for a day or two," he sighed. " Maybe they will ask us to dine tomorrow night ." 

Loki said nothing but lent to kiss him softly on his lips to distract his unhappy thoughts. It was awkward to find a comfortable position but after trying a few different ones, dictated by their bindings they settled with his head on the water skin and her head under his arms on his chest, curled as best they could into each other. It was dark so far from the fire but they could hear each others breaths and feel each others warmth and that was enough to grant her exhausted sleep so that when Aris checked on them before his own watch he saw her pale shape and threw a thin cloak over her. He could see Thor's eyes glitter as he followed his movements in the dark and the prince nodded his thanks to the Jotun as he went over and relieved Borg in the darkness. The night was half gone and Jor on watch before Thor's body eventually won against his brain's demands for watchfulness and at last he slept.


	6. Plans.

Thor's muscles felt like taut ropes against her as she woke to the dim light of the woodland, She would have liked to stay asleep and avoid acknowledging their predicament for a bit longer but his tension spread to her and she raised her head from his nice warm chest to look at him. He was not looking at her though and she followed his line of sight to where Bylister stood staring at them or rather at her with that intense gaze that she could not name. She rubbed her hand over her bleary eyes and turned her head back into Thor breathing in his familiar scent now mixed with woodsmoke and earth but he stirred beneath her and she sat up with him refusing to look at the Jotun. 

"He's gone." Thor growled beside her looking over where Jor had returned to the tree stump chair in his place.

"Good. Thor?" she asked looking at his ill used shirt and trying to distract him. "Might I ask you a favor?" he looked back at her quickly.

"I have little to offer just now, maid." he said with a rueful smile. " maybe when we get home it would be easier? What would you ask?"

" Do you think you or your mother would mind if I used a small strip of your shirt to tie back our hair? I am loath to ask anything of these men." She waved her hand dismissively towards the Jotuns. 

He gave his first smile of the day looking down at the tattered once white cloth. "You ask me for the shirt off my back? I was told marriage was like that but so soon?" she looked at him with serious green eyes. He smiled at her confusion too. " Of course." he said pulling a long tatter off." Is that enough?"

"My thanks, that will be enough for two." She began to drag her slim fingers through her long hair, now badly disheveled by the journey. 

" No wonder he stares at you so!" Thor said raising his palm to her white cheek now streaked with dust." How do you still manage to look so beautiful after all we have been through?" he finished breathlessly. She blushed deeply then dropping her hands and looking away from him in embarrassment.

"He has always hated me, as a child he was terrifying, always pinching and shoving, Father banned me from seeing anyone at court when I left childhood because he said I vexed everyone so." she said trying to scrape her thick mane into a plait while he watched her leaning forward enthusiastically to hold it while she used both hands to bind it with the strip of cloth. "You next, turn round if you would, lord."

"Ha, it will take more than your fingers to tame this! " he said shaking his tousled fair head at her but he turned his back and sat to allow her to reach it more easily." They give us nothing better to do with our time!" Soon his eyes were closing and he could feel his shoulders relax as she pulled her fingers steadily through his hair, teasing out the snarls and smoothing it until it all more or less went the same direction," I have seen the cats that keep the rats down in the farm granaries purr when they are stroked, lady, and I am sure you could train me to do the same if you keep grooming it so beautifully."

"Your hair is dusty but it is still the color of honey, if I could I would brush it every morning till it shone." She said softly as if she too was calmed by the grooming. Then she shifted and began to pull his hair into three clumps and weave it in with the white cloth to make a short thick cue. "Lord Aris is coming." she said dropping her eyes.

"Prince." Aris said as Thor stood up between him and Loki. "We will be off again soon." He handed him their porridge bowls."The girl will ride with the Lord Bylister again today." Thor bristled, his calm mood evaporating.

"After yesterday? I will walk or run and Loki may have my mount!" he said gruffly.

" Remember your place among us, Aesir. It is not a prisoners choice that counts." Aris said firmly." Whether you eat the food or not, we will be leaving soon and Loki will be riding with her brother." The Jotun stood chest to chest with Thor, eye to eye. "Be ready." he said before turning on his heel and leaving them with only the smirking Jor for company.

Loki sat down with her bowl and he hunkered down beside her with his. " I am going to free us soon, maid, I have been planning my move but there are so many of them we must be cautious." She nodded at his words eating slowly as the porridge cooled. "My people should notice we are gone today at the latest, they may already be tracking us. I will keep you safe, Loki, or die trying." he promised earnestly and she looked up at that, into his serious blue eyes.

"It is not you that has brought this danger on us, it is my brother, he was foul when I was a child and has given no sign of his having improved with the years! " She put down her spoon and moved to her knees, leaning forward and resting her cool, pale forehead on his tanned, heated brow." It is I who am sorry, my prince, I would not have you in danger. I have merely transferred my family woes on to you."

"Silly girl." he said lowering his own bowl. and looping his big hands behind her slim neck and kissing her softly. "You are my little family now don't forget, I will free us and we will be home soon." He was trying to sound confident and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Loki kissed him back trying to imprint the brush of his lips on her memory. "Of course, Lord, we will be home soon." she hoped she sounded sincere.

Bylister said nothing as he pulled Loki up in front of him, she tried to arch her back to minimize the contact between them but the big hand round her waist held her firmly against him and after an hour or two she just tried to ignore him instead. She tried to concentrating on a plan of escape for them both instead, and it gave her mind a distraction by trying to pick up weak points in the Jotun group to exploit. The men never seemed to let Thor out of sight she realized watching them watch him and at least two of the six in the group were allocated to guard him at any given time. Aris, lord or not, did much the same duties as the rest although they did his bidding but only as a mouthpiece of her brother. Bylister and he alone was their leader and his word was the others law. His purpose for their kidnap was for the power their possession gave him with both his father and the house of Bor but Loki felt in her bones that spite for Laufrey was another strong reason too.

Shame on the royal house by his kidnapping Thor and she and worse his sons rebellion against him and the long sought after Treaty would surely mean that Bylister could not rely on support outwith these few men, his own small troop. It would mean that it was unlikely they were heading for her old home, Jotunheim but to some private hold from which they were unlikely to re-emerge from alive. Their best chance of escape would be while they were still en route and before prison doors could slam shut behind them.

She watched those around her as carefully as she could as they rode on. Her brother was a constant at her back and she tried to watch her husband and smile when she caught his anxious eyes. Of the others, two were so low caste as for her not to know their names yet, both big brutish bodyguards without subtlety, she guessed, but man mountains whose sturdy horses were almost weighed down by them. Borg, gloomy and brooding but who watched her in a way that made her uncomfortable but not alarmed and horrible Jor who had kicked her husband as he lay helpless and bound. She felt so angry at the thought and revolted by the way he watched her that she tried to put him out of her thoughts as soon as she could. Aris, he seemed like a gentleman but no real gentleman would follow Bylister on this course, what was his story she wondered? 

And her brother, strong, crafty and driven, the enemy. She could not think of him as long as she felt him around her. She would not.

Bylisters move meant that their would be no reinforcements for him to call on though. 

Thor, her strong, handsome and kind Thor in the hands of these reprobates? Not for long if she could help it! 

Six men then, against Thor.

As she saw the chink in their armor she allowed herself a small smile.


	7. The first.

Bylister pulled her from the horse by the back of her shift like a troublesome pup and to her relief he stalked away from her without a word or backward glance. It had been a long ride and Loki padded wearily over on her bare feet to her husband as Aris helped him from his stoical mount.

"We are in need of supper and the lord, Jor and I will hunt before we climb into the hills tomorrow." The jotun explained tethering him securely to a tree and checking the knots tying his ankles tightly together twice." You will be well guarded though, so do not think of escape, Aesir, you will only risk your safety and the girl's." Loki demurely kept her head dipped under his attention and sat herself down at Thor's feet, resting her head against his leg as he brought comforting hands to lay on her hair. " We have a camp still miles away so we will be ready to leave on our return." He turned to Loki but did not bind her more just put water near her feet as he slung his short bow on his shoulder." Wish us well, cousin or it will be thin gruel for supper!" She did not answer and with a last warning look at Thor he went to join his leader.

Thor watched them go but one of the taciturn jotuns had already set up watch a few yards away and was watching him with hooded eyes while whittling a peg with a large serrated knife. Thor sighed as he reached down for the water skin and unstoppered it before crouching down beside her and offering her a drink. She took a draft gratefully before handing it back and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. He tipped his head back and took a long swig from it and splashed some into his palm to clumsily splash it on his face , seeing that she put her own hands up and he sluiced a portion into them for her to wash her own. It was a delicious refreshment after the days of riding an she felt it slide down her neck before Thor poured her a refill and she rubbed some of the grime from her cheeks and throat and felt it trickle down her spine with a happy shiver. He grinned at her pleasure and filled her cupped hands again but instead of splashing it on herself she lifted it up and smoothed it onto his dirt streaked face, gently rubbing at the dirt and wiping it dry with the cuff of her shift. The result made her smile though and to his pleasant surprise she brushed a soft kiss on the tip of his newly revealed nose. It was too much temptation and he looped his arms suddenly round her shoulders drawing her close to engage her mouth in a deeper kiss, he felt her body tense for a moment before melting forward into his embrace. He moved his hands as best he could to pull her body closer into his own and he felt her bend willingly into him and... then a big hand fell onto his shoulder and roughly pulled him backwards and away from her.

"Enough! Stand away from her!" an angry looking Borg loomed over them and he grabbed her slim arm pulling her roughly away from her husband. "I warned them that you would cause trouble if you were allowed near her temptations." She saw Thor's color deepen and his teeth clench in his jaw as he lunged at the Jotun until the prince was wrenched to a halt, suddenly at the limit of his tether. The other squat guard was standing closer to them now his knife still held ready in his hand shoulders hunched in a fighting stance. Loki pulled away sharply from Thor taking Borg with her still holding her upper arm clenched painfully tightly now in his fist, so although he still scowled at her husband he was out of arms reach of him. "Hold still you are staying by me, witch." he said pushing her further away from Thor before turning to glare at him. " I have to fill those water skins you were being so free with before we leave this valley and I do not trust you near her." Thor pulled in vain at his bonds but Borg led her away and shoved her to sit by where the horses dozed while he collected up an armful of water bags from the saddles. With a final scowl at the prince and a nod to the two attentive watchmen standing close by him he pushed Loki ahead of him towards where the river lay.

"Keep walking, girl, there will be no path this far into the trees but can you not here the river not far ahead?" He let go of her arm to better balance his awkward load across the rough ground as she tried to pick her way through the thickening undergrowth as the wood became thinner. She could hear the sound of running water more clearly and as she skirted the brambles pulling at the hem of her shift they suddenly came out of the trees and onto a tumble of rocks overlooking a sizable river. "Ah, I knew it, " Borg said looking about." up this way, fool, that is too steep a bank to easily climb with all these when they are full."

Loki looked with interest at the uneven terrain and at the thick undergrowth that fought for space along the banks and also watching her guard as he thoughtlessly pushed by her to take the lead while scanning for an easier way down to the water side. He was a big man, not young and his stomach held the extra weight of middle age she noted but he was still strong with arms thicker than her legs and big boots that would soon beat her bare feet in a race. Anyway to escape she knew would only jeopardize her husbands safety and she would not consider that. She followed him meekly for quite a way, waiting quietly at the top of the bank until he thoughtlessly offered her his hand to balance her descent over the round stones beside a little gravelly beach. The girl gently took his hand and he felt its softness with his thumb as he held it a little too long then looked at her angrily before shaking his head and pushing it away. 

" Can I not help you? " she asked him in her soft lilting voice and he looked up from where he was crouched filling the skins from the shallows with the peaty brown water. His brow furrowed and he shook his head again as if to clear it before returning to his chore. She studied the pattern of stones that broke the rivers surface into deeper pools and the shallower banks on the other side. "They must be heavy?" she asked coming to stand nearer him. 

She could see him looking sideways at her slim white ankles and thought that he must have been away from home for a while because she saw his eyes linger on them. She rubbed her feet together as if chilled and he cursed as he dropped two still empty skins into the river's current having to get his boots wet to retrieve them before they were swept away. 

"Are you cold girl?" he asked gruffly as he bent to fill another skin and his lowered gaze immediately slipped back to her pale shifting feet.

"Only a little, master, it is the stones," She answered starting to rub her hands together too he saw as he filled another skin and laid it on the flat rock beside him. He stood up then and using the excuse of stretching his back he looked at the slight girl standing close by him with those famous eyes downcast respectfully, he was exited to see, as if he were of noble birth. He stood for a moment then unsure but brain racing as he bent to gather the remaining skins together before hesitating again. 

" You will help me carry them back to camp." he ordered her boldly and his stomach tightened as she skimmed his eyes with those startling green ones.

"Thank you, master, I would be pleased to help." She said dropping her nervous eyes again suddenly sending a surge of power through him at his control. He bent to throw one for her but he forgot that her hands were bound and it dropped clumsily at her feet. "I am sorry." she said her voice so quiet he took a step closer to her to be able to hear the words.

" Give me your hands!" He demanded and was pleased at the way she obeyed him immediately. Her hands were like none he had ever touched with long slender fingers so soft and white that they looked and felt like silk and he could not not tear his eyes away. His big fingers struggled to undo the old knots in the leather thongs around her thin wrists and she heard as he cleared his throat before attempting to speak eventually "Hold still." he spat roundly in frustration and drew out the curved blade he favored sliding its wicked point carefully between the thongs and her skin. The blade sliced through it easily she noted with interest as he pushed it back in his belt. 

"Thank you, sir." she said quietly and Borg nodded in satisfaction at her deferential tone. She lent down to pick up the dropped water sack brushing against his leg with her shoulder and heard him hiss sharply so that when she stood up again he was closer and she could smell his sour breath panting on her face. His big hands grasped her arms and she lurched forward knocking hard against his body before pulling back coyly. "Oh, master!" she gasped twisting out of his grasp as he looked at her through narrow eyes and reached to hold her again. She stood back from him then and lowered her eyes but her mouth twitched in a small smile which he took for encouragement. She was lithe, he thought as she balanced on a rock further in the river and he saw her long toes curl around it for balance as he waded into the water.

"We must enjoy our fun quickly, or we will be missed." he breathed in what he thought sounded like an enticing tone. She was nearly across climbing easily from stepping stone to stone and he strode through and followed her onto the far side. "Stay still girl!" he demanded and his breath came faster as she stood waiting for him at the top of the bank. 

"Hurry." she breathed, watching him with those strange eyes as he at last reached for her. The resounding slap she landed on his face shocked him and his lust morphed straight to mingle with anger at its sting. She turned on her heel and ran from him, in a moment she was two or three paces ahead before his size and weight narrowed her lead as she reached the bushes before the trees. The bramble thorns tore at her bare feet but she needed the speed and she leapt into the thickest of them at full pelt as he reached for her again. She spun and fell as he threw himself on her and she looked deep into his surprised eyes as she used his momentum to drive his own vile blade hilt deep into his chest. She threw herself away from him in earnest as his mouth gaped as if about to speak but he did not even let out a gasp while the life slowly seeped out of his small round eyes! 

Loki's breath came harsh through her lungs and her whole body began to shake with the aftershock and she felt the tears try to choke her. She hugged her knees with her arms, rocking while she closed her eyes as the mans body ceased to twitch beside her then drew a deep breath. She had to be strong for Thor, focus on her plan. She closed her eyes again when she had to use both hands to retrieve the knife from its grip of his chest, she had stolen it from him when she pretended to lift the water skin and after a light search she found a small quill knife to add to her arsenal. He was warm she felt with disgust as she tugged him further into the thick brush, and heavy, but she set her jaw and heaved. She pulled free armfuls of dead leaves from the woods edge and covered the body as best she could before drawing the bramble branches back across the grave and returning without a backward glance to the river to wash her hands and arms free of her vile act.

The water sacks lay scattered as Borg had dropped them some full some empty and Loki picked them all up before scanning the area for any sign of their struggle. Nothing but nature except her eye caught the curl of leather that had trapped her wrists. She bent and hooked it up with a finger before struggling along the bank to make her way downstream with her burden. She looked up after what seemed like a mile to see where she and Borg had originally emerged from the woods, a few yards further down the river was a small pool with a steep bank behind and she threw down the heavy skins with relief. She thought for a moment and then threw a half empty one into the faster current where it was soon drawn away with the flow, she picked up two of the full ones and started up the bank. She stopped at the place where she had first seen the river and drew a deep breath to gather her thoughts. Winding the old thong as best she could around her wrists Loki hefted the water into her arms. She turned back into the woods and, avoiding as many of the thorns and branches as she could, she remembered to leave a few shreds of her shift on the bushes to mark her passing. 

Loki tried hard to gather her thoughts and avoid thinking of Borg as she made her way back up through the trees but her mind kept imagining him lying dead and growing cold in his pile of rotting leaves. She shook her head to concentrate on her story, it must be simple but not incriminating so she settled on ignorance. She looked up, worried that she had missed the camp as the water grew heavy and her body began to shake again but then she felt a wash of relief when one of the horses heard her and snorted a greeting. As she passed them, pretending to stumble, she slid Borg's hunting knife out of sight deep in the hollow spine of Bylister's ornate saddle and made her way over to Thor.

"Where is that man," he said angrily, hugging her." for shame on him, these skins are too heavy for you to carry. Does he think you are a pack horse to use you so?" He struggled to rise as she dropped the skins wearily beside him and just let herself slide down to sit against his warmth, wriggling up under his arm for comfort. His guards ignored her having only eyes for her husband and she turned her face gratefully into the smell of sweat and earth that now meant Thor for her. "Don't worry, Loki, it will all be fine, " he said kissing her hair fondly." why don't you try and have a little rest while I work out a plan?"


	8. Moving on.

Loki did not know how long it was before the hunting party emerged from the trees carrying the cleaned carcass of a roe on Jor's broad shoulder. The guards stood up with smiles on their faces to welcome them back and Thor woke her as he twisted where he sat to look round at them. 

"Wake up, my maid, the huntsmen have returned, and they have been successful." he whispered quietly right in her ear making her shiver at the vibration, her husband noticed it though and smiled leaning down and breathed across its shell again. Involuntarily she shivered again and looked up to see his wide grin which, despite her anxiety, could not fail to produce a paler shadow on her own lips.

"That tickles, my lord." she admonished him, gently pushing him away as he bent in to blow across it again, he did it anyway and she swatted him lightly on his arm.

"I will remember this ." he smiled then his face became serious as the Jotuns returned.

" Venison will make a good supper for a night or two, Aesir." Jor said dragging Thor to his feet to check his bonds while Loki tried to stay unnoticed and to her relief she was overlooked as with a smirk he pushed Thor too fast for the girl to steady him and with his ankles tied he fell clumsily to the ground. The couple both glared at him as he struggled to sit again with his wife's help but all that did was to amuse him further. " we will be leaving as soon as we stow the packs so prepare yourselves for another ride." 

A while later and Borgs absence had been noted," He should be back by now, the girl came back an hour and more ago." Loki's blood ran cold in her veins as she waited as quietly as she could against her husbands reassuring bulk. "Where is he? I wager he has fallen asleep in the sun." Bylister cursed." Go and fetch him and hurry we need to be up to the camp before nightfall." Jor followed Thors knife happy guard as he headed off in the direction he had seen Borg take. An hour passed, the horses were loaded and the men waiting impatiently when at last the two returned with the water skins draped around their shoulders.

"What do you mean no sign of him? Where did you get those then?" Bylister shouted at them from from beside the horses and Loki shrunk into Thor's side.

"They were by the river, half full, and nothing to see anywhere about but when we searched downstream we couldn't find Borg but stuck in a low branch we found another skin!" Jor said obviously hot and bothered with the search. "Ask her," Loki could feel their eyes on her back as she felt Thor's muscles tense. "She might know something."

Bylister and the other Jotuns came over to where they waited and their leader pulled her roughly to her feet. "Where did you leave Borg, witch?" he demanded shoving his face close enough to hers to feel his spittal on her skin. She heard Thor growl but kept her eyes and head down, heart hammering in her chest and then his big hand gave her such a shake that her teeth rattled in her head. "Where was he?"

" He went down to get water," she said quickly before her husband tried something foolish as the Jotun raised a threatening hand to her." I could not get through the thorns and he told me he could not stand my whining and to take those," she pointed at the skins she had carried. " back here."

"Thorns?" He demanded. She showed him the livid scratches scoring her white legs and heard Thor hiss in disgust behind her. Bylister's eyebrows rose too and he looked at Jor who nodded still staring at Loki's legs until she dropped her tattered shift back to cover them.

"Her skirts left threads in them, that's how we found the sacks." He nodded in affirmation. "The banks were rocky and steep and the water is peat black in deep pools, we might never find him if he went in."

Bylister pushed her back down beside Thor again with a disgusted curse then kicked one of the water sacks in frustration. "Idiot, we are few enough without him dying a fools death!!" He started to return to the horses, then turned and Loki's heart rose into her throat and a wave of dizzyness threatened to swamp her but he spoke over them to Jor." You looked around well?" he asked for confirmation. 

"Yes, my lord." Jor assured," Up a ways and then well down the river."

"Damn him then, he was an idiot!" He began to pull on his gloves and grabbing her again tugged Loki bodily towards his horse. "Get him up and secure him well, "He said gesturing to the Aesir prince." We cannot waste any more time or we will loose the light." Without a word to her he pushed her up into his saddle before mounting hard behind her and when he others were ready, to her immense relief, the reduced party kicked their mounts into a run and began to leave her dreadful secret behind in his leafy tomb.

Loki's head was spinning and not just from the rough ride, nothing in her short life could have prepared her for Borg's death. The men around her seemed to accept it readily enough but they were all warriors, trained and hardened to it but she had been sheltered from death and she also burned with guilt. There was no comfort to be had from Bylister and even his often moving hands just deepened her self loathing. Thor was behind them and she craved his arms around her instead to feel their protection but although her head knew that she knew her cause was just, truth be, she did not want to see him until her soul had settled. Should she tell him tonight ? What would he think of her?

Silence girl! she ordered herself sternly. The years of self control taught to her for modesty were cutting in. Bury the disgust deep and hide the guilt under her a blanket of calm she told herself. There would be time to grieve when they were safe but not yet! She began to refine her thoughts slowly. When her husband was free. When Thor was safe. When they were home. She drew a deep breath against Bylister's roving hand on her ribs as the horse beneath them began to tire. The light was beginning to ease towards evening she noticed as her thoughts began to build the wall around Borg and energy began to drain from her body like water. She began to feel as limp as her thoughts and began to sag back in the Jotun's arm, her head nodding uncomfortably as they rode. The hand around her slipped upwards on her body and she suddenly snapped awake, jerking away from him with as much strength as her shocked body could muster as she aimed a blow at her brother. She saw his angry face above her as she felt herself slip sideways as his vicious shove drove her away from him and off the horse and the ground hit her rear with a dull thump. A horse was pushed between her and Bylister's and she thought she recognized Aris's outline as she shuffled backwards away from the heavy hooves.

"Here." Bylister's gruff voice shouted out as the rest of the men caught up. It was Aris's hand though that drew her up and pulled her away before leaving her to lean shaking against Thor's stoic mount's silky shoulder. The Jotun bent to loosen the other man's ankles and helped him slip stiffly down before he silently came over to hold her in his big comforting arms and she hid herself once again in the luxury of his embrace.

"Oh Loki, I am so sorry. " Thor said his face buried in the dark silk of her hair."This is a nightmare we will soon wake from, the house of Odin will know we are gone by now and they will be on our trail already. Sif and the other trackers will find us tomorrow at the latest, all you have to do is endure, we will be free soon." 

"We will, my lord," she agreed softly to comfort him. Then as a half hearted distraction." Can I have a new dress to go with my new shoes?" It worked as a smile eased into his voice and she relaxed wearily against him.

"Every day in every color, but you should know that every day you become more lovely to me than ever." She gave a small snort of disbelief at his chivalry but was calmed by his very presence. "But you are tired Loki." He said with a sigh, drawing her away from him and looking at the dark smudges under her eyes. 

"We camp here." Aris said as he returned to them." Bring her over to those trees behind me and I will settle you before supper." he added picking up the reins of Thor's mount and leading them over to the horse lines. It had become a wearisome chore as Thor was given no leeway with his hands or the hobbles that the Jotun lord retied securely to a tree before going to organize the horse lines. The smell of roasting venison soon began to waft towards them from the fire and Thor's stomach suddenly made a loud grumble near her ear. She could not fail to smile because once started the noise sounded like the rumble of thunder.

"Sorry Loki, when we get home I plan to have four square meals a day for a month to make up for this. You too, if you want we can have desserts for breakfast lunch and dinner too!" he said warming to the theme a smile spreading across his face at the thought.

" I would like that purple creamy one. A whole bowl full even if I were sick!" she agreed, her own stomach echoing his. "What else would you eat." 

"Beef, Pork, Mutton, I would not mind! I would eat anything that died in my path right now cooked or raw!!" they were both smiling now, forgetting their predicament in their little game and her tired spirit healed a little in his bright blue eyes and he seemed distracted enough by her own. It made the time fly until one of the guards plonked down their portion beside her feet without comment and sat to consume his dinner only a few yards away. Thor attacked it as if it might fight back and she gave a little laugh at his enthusiasm so he pretended to savage it for her, ripping into the meat with his teeth like a barbarian while she smiled and ate her own leaving him, her golden lion's share . 

The food was gone too soon and with their bellies full they began to make themselves comfortable as possible for a night on the mossy ground and it was Aris that came to check them and collect their bowls then looked at them making their hard bed. He bent to give the final check to their fixings. The prince sat passively but when it was Loki's turn Aris's face tightened in surprise at the broken thong! She fixed him with fearful eyes of molten emerald willing him silent with all her heart and to her surprise the dark lord's face slowly settled in an unreadable mask and he pulled a new leather thong from his belt and rebound her wrists without comment. Thor looked up at him as he stood back letting Loki past to resume her place re-wrapped in the blond's arms again where she closed her eyes against his warmth. Both men watched her settle and then looked at each other again.

" This is a trial for us both, prince, not the work for warriors like ourselves is it?" he said wryly as he looked thoughtfully down at him. He then looked back towards his party seating themselves by the fire." I cannot let you go," Aris said suddenly. "not even her." His eyes dropped and then reengaged with Thor's.

"What are his plans then?" Thor asked in an angry whisper, running his hand through the girls hair and gently but firmly covering her ears. "Gold? Power? Why will he not release Loki? She is one of your own and she is his sister!" Aris held his gaze, then his eyes dropped again.

"This girl is our jewel." the other started slowly," One in a generation, maybe the last Maid." Thor watched him carefully his stomach uneasy as Aris stopped talking and looked back at the prince before turning to leave. " It Is Lord Bylister's wish to ... purify the royal line." 


	9. Provocation.

Borg stood silent and grey in the shadows of the trees when Loki rose. 

"Thor!" she whispered "Thor, wake up!." Horror, fear and dismay squirmed there way through her as she shook at Thor's shoulder but he still failed to wake. Her skirts tangled her feet and slowed her rise to stand and when she did Borg was near enough them for her to see the glint of moonlight on the eyes shadowed deep in their sockets. She was tall enough for a woman but the warrior seemed broader and taller than she remembered and as he continued his stealthy approach towards them.

"Thor!" she cried out loudly but all he did was turn over in his sleep at her feet so she crouched defensively over him, long hands splayed out. Borg snarled and charged and she felt his gnarled hands grab at her, strong and intrusive until her own hand brought up her forgotten knife and in one slash his portly gut was spilled! Blood sprang at them from the wound, showering Thor as he slept and drenching her in a warm, sticky wave of scarlet. She stared down at her bloody tattered shift and Borg tightened his grip in death pulling her down with his greater weight as she tried to drag her knife loose from its sheath of flesh. His cold sweaty head fell forward inches from her own and he let loose his last, earth smelling breath into her horrified face!

"Thor!" she cried out again smothered by the corpse's weight pressing down on her, still warm against her arms as she fought to free herself from him. He clasped her to him with the strength of the grave and she started to scream as he looked at her face to face with his confused blue eyes. "I am sorry!" she cried at him still struggling with tears blinding her eyes. 

"Maid, maid, peace! I am here. Shh, shh, it was but a dream." Thor's soft voice eased into her ears. "Just a dream." He was kissing her hair and rocking her like a small child as her muscles began to relax and her tears flowed against his big shoulder. She held him to her as if she were drowning, her arms snaking about his neck and drawing herself against him as tightly as she could. She breathed in his scent and warmth till her wrenching tears began to settle and she felt her body slumping against him as her panic eased. "There, there, Loki," he rumbled soothingly " I have you now, everything will be fine."

"What is the matter with her?" Jor's unsympathetic voice caused her breath to hitch and Thor kissed her again on her forehead before answering.

"A foul dream, unsurprising considering our circumstances, jotun." he growled at the guard who had stood up at the disturbance.

"Well, silence her, she has disturbed our rest enough. If you cannot I am sure one of us could." he smirked and she felt Thor's whole body tense like wire against hers. " She is Jotun and we would know how to curb her better than any Aesir!" He sneered the last word and Loki felt the lurch her husband gave halted by his tether as a growl passed his clenched teeth. She tried to pull him down with her hands which were still looped round his neck but his sheer power dragged her forward with him, towards the smirking Borg.

"Enough, leave them be, you are all disturbing the whole camp!" said a calm voice and Loki looked up as Aris appeared out of the gloom between them and their guard. "What is all the noise about?"

"The witch had a dream and will not shut up!" Borg said petulantly. 

The jotun lord came to hunker down in front of them and Loki looked at him with tear filled eyes before she dropped her eyes in shame of the sight she must make. "Oh maid, what a state you have got yourself in. She is shaking, Prince, is she cold?" he asked.

"You can see, it is all too much for her." Thor said and she could hear the misery and frustration in his voice. "How long will we be on the road? She needs a bed and rest, you know she is no shieldmaiden to be used so."

"We will be some days yet and her bed at the end will offer little comfort I fear." Aris said quietly looking at her as she once again hid her face against her husband." I can get her something warmer to wear though." and he disappeared towards the packs, returning a few minutes later with a dark tunic, soft to the touch and a thin belt. "Put it on her, it is warm enough and may allow her some comfort. It is thick too and may also provide some protection against.... for delicate skin. " He finished with a meaningful look at Thor. Loki was half listening and tried to follow what they were saying but she was so tired now she was calmer that their words slid sideways. She snuggled against Thor's body and as the moss beneath her began to feel as soft as the velvet tunic that he now covered her with she slipped back into sleep.

xxx

It could barely be considered dawn when Thor stirring beside her and the noise of the Jor moving behind them woke Loki from a deep, dream free slumber and she shifted in the pleasant confines of his arms. They stretched together and exchanged their small smiles at that together also before he sat up and felt round to locate their water bag.

"Show me your legs, lady," She looked away with an intake of breath and Thor gave a wry little snort." We did not wash those thorn scratches yesterday, Loki, If we were alone then I hope you would not be so abashed still though, wife!" with a smile he took another strip from the bottom of his wrecked shirt and gently he washed the thin cuts as best he could, loosening a thorn still embedded in her skin. "There nothing deadly but they must have stung, that idiot, I hope he's dead!"

"I am sorry about last night." she whispered to him through dry lips which he then kissed silencing them both. As they again lay together quietly in the growing light she put her hand up to his dusty face and brushed back some of the fair hair that had worked free from his cue." Borg's death, I ..."

"Shh, lass, Bylister is talking with Aris about our destination and I would hear." he said tilting his head towards the fire pit so she curled back down under the green tunic to wait, not sure how to broach Borg's death anyway. Maybe later would be better anyway she thought and she felt behind her neck to her own thick plait feeling the small pen knife slipped into its folds, should she give it to him now? It was barely a weapon but the blade hidden in the saddle was. What could they do with it though when their enemies were blatantly bristling with weapons? If anyone found either they would know they were Borg's and put two and two together and they would punish Thor as much as her, probably more. Perhaps she should throw it into the undergrowth before she was discovered. She was still brooding on the best plan when the rumble of Thor's voice vibrated through her ear against his chest and she looked up to see Jor had returned to his watch duties. As he brought their porridge over to where they still sat the man had a smirk across his face and she avoided his openly intrusive gaze. Thor scowled at him and pulled the shift to cover her scratched feet from him before beginning to shovel the porridge angrily into his mouth while fixing the jotun with his hostile glare.

"It must be a hard thing to have lost such as she on your wedding night, Aesir. Asgard has no jewel so rare as Loki." She stopped breathing at the taunt to her husband, remembering all the beauties that put her so to shame in the Asgard court. Thor she knew, out of kindness, had never compared her to her face with those shining golden women that surrounded him there but she knew better than most what he temporarily denied himself for a royal heir with her. 

"You will not say her name, dog!" Thor said in a warning rumble. Loki put down her bowl and began to move in close to him as the jotun stood and bent to pick up Aris's velvet tunic before looking at Loki again and ignoring the prince.

"Is this for you? I wonder what our soft hearted young lord hopes to gain from such a fine gift?" He said handling its soft velvet in his coarse hand. "I have none so good." He held it up to admire but it was half his broad frames width and he dropped his arm in annoyance, then after a moment a sly smile settled on his thick lips. "I will help you change into it." he said and quicker than his bulk would suggest he grabbed her bound hands and yanked her away from Thor's side. His hand held hers while his other reached for her shift and she heard her lord's bellow as she felt an unpleasant touch at her hip before she landed her well aimed kick below his belly with a bony heel. Jor went down like a steer, dropping her and grasping himself to roll in pain as Aris appeared beside them and pulled her back to her feet while holding out a pacifying hand up to an enraged Thor.

"What...?" he said looking around at them while still keeping a grip on the girls arm. He relaxed a bit as one of the other jotun' barked out a laugh as he realized what had happened to Jor. " Well, well, the princess bested you by herself then?" he said with amusement in his voice then stood aside as Bylister stormed up. 

" What now, bitch?" He shouted in the girls face. "The day is barely begun before you cause trouble!!" he said hooking her away from Aris by her hair.

"Leave her be! Your dog mishandled her, Jotun, it is him you need to whip!" Thors eyes were red with fury as he spat his words at Bylister.

The Jotun looked down at his stricken man, then at Thor, then aimed a hefty kick at Jor. "Idiot, know your place! You take her Aris, keep her close, we have hard travelling today." He said shoving the girl hard at him before stalking away back towards his interrupted breakfast.

Aris stopped Loki from falling forward with two hands and watched his master leave with an unreadable expression on his face. After a pause he turned to where Jor was being helped up by the other soldier. "Take him off to the fire and keep him there." He ordered them and waited until the two of them were on their way before turning to Thor. "Things seem to be going from bad to worse in this venture." 

"Let her go, you are not an evil man and their will be no good come to us, you know this." Thor pleaded, settling his rage with a great effort as the other lord helped the girl till she shifted to her husband's side, eyes down and face pale. Aris looked into his eyes for a long minute before bending to pick up his green tunic. 

"Let us put this on and cover you, maid, no doubt we will be leaving soon and will be in the cold of the hills by nightfall." He suggested in an level tone and she looked up then at her lord who nodded. "Here, I will loosen your hands," the jotun said leaning forward and freeing her. She took the velvet tunic from his hand and wriggled easily into it until it hung below her knee in thick folds. He stood back and smiled kindly at her. "Ha! It certainly graces you more handsomely than it ever did me, cousin, but you will need this belt as you could get two of you at least in there?" Aris passed it over to her and she tied the thin leather twice round her narrow waist.

"Thank you, lord, that looks more substantial." Thor said nodding in satisfaction as the girl ran her hands down the soft material to smooth out some of the creases before coming back to stand beside him again. "What do you think, Loki ?"

The girl looked at the jotun with serious eyes "I think my brother is not worthy of your fealty, Lord Aris."

"Loki!" Thor said in surprise " A warrior is measured by his loyalty to his lord! "

"Bylister has betrayed his king, my husband, therefore he has forfeited Lord Aris's oath." Loki looked at the jotun with that cool green gaze until his eyes dropped." Aris is a honorable man and would find another house to welcome his oath which would reward his nature with a worthier cause." Aris looked at her sharply at those words but her eyes gave nothing away. 

" Have a care who might hear you, lady, we cannot often have what we deserve" He observed her thoughtfully. "You have indeed acquired a valuable wife, Lord." 

"She has many virtues." Thor nodded looking at the other man then taking Loki into the circle of his bound hands, he kissed her black hair possessively. Bylister called from where the horses were nearly ready. Aris stooped to release Thor's tether still holding her own light restraint in his hand before he picked up the water container from the ground beside them. He looked at Loki with a strange expression on his face before leading the way back to the other Jotuns. 


	10. A narrow path.

"If you looked disgusting before you have excelled yourself by looking worse yet." Bylister sneered as he shoved her up onto the saddle before him. "Aris, you never had much taste in clothes and are well rid of that sack." Loki said nothing but held her hands together trying to hide the fact that they remained free but he noticed and bound them uncomfortably tightly again. The weather had turned wetter and windy but she was better protected by the tunic and she knew that although it might look as ridiculous on her as her brother said, no cruel words could take away Aris's kindness in lending it to her. She was confused that he had not used the thong to tie her again and had sincerely meant what she said on his fealty although she hoped he had not taken the offense at them his strange look had indicated. She mentally sighed at the complexities of their predicament. Borg was dead, she knew despite her nightmare, five jotuns remained and a foul imprisonment awaited them at best if the snippets of information she had gleaned were anything to go by. How long had they got till then? Two days seemed to be the best guess but what could they do to escape in two days!

"It feels like I am holding a bag of potatoes, you will remove the tunic at the next stop." the jotun prince growled angrily in her ear after several hours of riding but she was pleased that the velvet was thick enough not to feel his wandering hands so easily. Loki thoughts returned to making plans. She had the knives, and Thor and her wits but little else, their enemies were trained warriors, battle hardened and already renegades with little to loose. The knives, she needed to talk with Thor to tell him about them and see if he had any ideas as to their escape, he was a trained warrior too and as strong as any man but although he could match any of the others, five would kill him in minutes. Thor safety was top of her priority list and then Thor free because where there was life there was hope, so prison would not nearly be as bad as loosing him altogether. 

"I could only see your foot!" Thor said anxiously at their next halt as she was unceremoniously unloaded and pushed towards him by her brother before he stalked back to repack some of the horses. They had not let him dismount and one of the glum guards adjusted the now soaking pack on Thor's placid mount as Loki scratched its silky shoulder. The guard wandered towards where the other jotuns were having a heated discussion and the horse began to nip at the sparse grass at the paths edge. She looked around while they waited with her long hands curled round his ankle and her head resting on his damp knee." You must promise me something, Loki." he said after a pause an she looked up into his serious face. "You must escape if you can."

" I will not leave you, my husband, I fear it would cost us your life." Loki said matching his worried blue gaze with her calm green eyes. His brow furrowed.

" But you must get free, wife, it hurts me to see you suffer at these villain's hands. I wish only to see you free." he explained as if to a child.

"And I wish the same for you and I would not be free if you were still in their hands." She said turning to kiss his grubby knee. "Would you leave me with them?"

"How could you think so lowly of me, lady? I would rather die trying to save you than leave you for an hour." He sounded scandalized his blue eyes round with horror and the rain dripping from the loose strands of his long hair. She laughed softly at him and patted his boot comfortingly.

"Then I would ask you to think no less of me." she thought again how lucky she was to have him as opposed to the monster she had been told by her father to expect. She watched the jotun move away then spoke quickly." Thor I have a hidden dagger. Two!" she said reaching to untwist the quill knife from her braid and hold it out for him. Thor's jaw dropped and he looked anxiously down to the others.

"Hide it, maid, lest any see!" he hissed." Where..." he started.

"The other is a decent blade, a hunters, it is in the spine of my brothers saddle." she said in a rush still holding out the little knife for him to take. He looked at it then shook his head.

"No, no, keep it safe upon you, they search me often and you are no threat to them. The other blade though... We may be in with a chance now , clever girl!" He sat straighter in the saddle and his smile lit up his face and, by its brightness her heart, and she smiled up at him putting the blade carefully back into its hiding place." The black saddle you say?" He queried, and then suddenly." Hush, they are coming." 

The sullen guard was making his way up but Aris appeared to still be arguing with Bylister his hand gesturing towards them but he was too far away to catch his words clearly. The prince and he were nearly toe to toe when his Liege shouted into his face.

"Would you risk yours family and lands on this? There are many who would jump high for such a prize!?" Aris hesitated then and after a minute stood back breathing heavily in the rain. He seemed about to say something else but then stopped still and after a minute gave a short bow to his prince before swinging up into his saddle. He gave a long look over to where the two prisoners were but then turned his head and set his horse at a run on the path ahead. 

Bylister himself came over to them his face giving nothing away as he approached. "Get him off that one and onto Borg's it is fresher,"He said to Jor and then to her" You ride and my horse tires with two to carry, I remember you as a child arriving on a white pony for the feast days! You will ride now, we have a difficult path along a narrow ledge this afternoon and in this weather we will be pushed to reach our camp before dark." he put his hands on her and manhandled her roughly into the pack horses wide saddle, checking the binding on her hands and shortening the stirrups with a knot. To her disgust his hand slid up over the velvet tunic from her hands to her chin and held her looking at him although she tried not to engage his eyes as the drizzle formed drops on her thick black eyelashes." You were always a tempting morsel, witch, and I still have use for Aris so I have sent him ahead to our destination to prepare it for us, out of temptations way." he sneered. " The others are made of baser stuff so be careful how you step from now on as in I am your only...champion!" he rolled the word around his mouth and then gave a snort of laughter at its taste. She heard Thor's growl from where he now balanced on Jor's more feisty horse as the jotun slowly patted her thigh before heading back to mount his own horse with a smirk.

Loki's new mount barely needed a rider it was so biddable it followed where her guard led along the path which had begun to steepen as it left the blanket woodland of the valley. The soft leaves of birch and beech began to be dotted with pine as they climbed and as the afternoon progressed the path was occasionally blocked by fallen trees and once by a rock slide which they had to avoid by threading through the dripping pines below their chosen track. Thor could look back often now and she made sure that she smiled as encouragingly as she could when he caught her eye. She hoped it was the chance of the knives that had lifted his spirits and put back a bit of pride into his the way he held his broad shoulders. Whatever the reason she was pleased to see it and enjoyed the freedom from her brothers unhappy grasp that the calm beast below her afforded. She rubbed its soft mane between her fingers and sometimes patted its slick shoulder or whispered to it as it plodded its way along a particularly difficult stretch of track and it flicked its ears at her occasionally in return. Jor was behind her and occasionally pushed his own mount to jostle her placid beast but her fellow just kept up his amiable pace and she smiled and scratched his wet shoulder again with a secret smile. She had not been allowed to ride in years and was a little stiff when she was pulled down roughly by Jor when Bylister called a halt as the path narrowed and disappeared behind a rocky outcrop. 

" We are walking from here." He ordered and then pointing at her directly he warned," Keep up or the drop will claim you!" Her heart twisted with sadness as her gentle Thor was hobbled and bound with a leather collar like a cur, then leashed between the two grim faced guards. He managed a steady calm look at her before Bylister, in the lead, took up the reins of two mounts and Jor the other three in a string as he walked at the rear of the party behind her. She was left with her own quiet fellow whom she had begun to think of fondly already. 

"You will be good for me won't you, Blackie?" she asked in a whisper patting its velvet soft muzzle as her brother, after one more check on her husbands bonds, started off in the lead. Loki was careful where she walked not just because of the rocks on her bare feet but because of the steep drop from the path became more and more precarious as they climbed. They stopped eventually on a wider stretch where the path broadened enough for them to stand in a sodden group and Loki, as quietly as she could, managed to edge closer to Thor with a water skin and reached for his tightly bound hands with her own cooler ones. When he turned his glum features brightened at the sight of her and she helped him to drink as best she could before she slaked her own thirst. He was so wet and dirty that his brown skin and blond hair were almost uniformly grey with dust and she would have wanted to wash him as she had that previous morning but knew she could not risk the attention from their captors. 

"How are you faring, my maid?" he asked in a sad gentle voice his eyes checking her over for harm." I think you should wear that tunic of Aris's when we get home, you look so good every woman in Asgard will want to copy you." She looked down at the wet, dust covered velvet and the tatters of shift and the grubby, hard used white feet visible beneath them and laughed a little looking up warmly into those amused blue eyes. 

"They would not let me serve your servants, Thor." She said with a smile." You, however, would melt hearts in any court in the nine realms, dirt seems to become you!" and she meant it, to her he seemed more and more handsome every day. His eyes softened and she felt herself drawn to him until their lips warm and tasting of rain and wood smoke touched and he looped his arms over her shoulders to draw her closer. They had a moment, long and sweet, when there was just the two of them in the world, close and loving and breathing in each others scents. 

"Hey, enough!!" Idiot, what are you doing." Loki felt her hair jerked back and Thor's big hands accidentally dunted into her head so hard she had to suppress a cry as she was pulled away. "Leave her be, you had your chance and failed." hissed Bylister from behind her holding her close to him. Thor was trying to break free but his collar was yanked by one of the jotuns and Jor gave him a vicious kick behind the knee to drop him to the mud. Loki kicked out herself then but barely grazed Jor's thigh as she was dragged further away. "Ha, watch her feet, she has your measure in mind again, Jor! Enough entertainment though, we will loose the light before long and must make the crest before dark." 

Thor caught her eye briefly as he stumbled to his feet and nodded to her before he was yanked onward by his guards. When her brother dropped her to retake the lead she fitted in behind a large horse with it and a jotun between she and her hard pressed husband. She trudged through the rain and the wind had an edge to it as the sun set, not only distressed from sore feet but aggrieved at the treatment meeted out to her Thor too. Before long she became aware that her passive mount was flicking his ears unhappily behind him and his even pace became less so she turned to see a smirking Jor slapping 'Blackies' broad rump and then as she watched he pulled the passive brutes tail. She scowled at him then turned away, fool on this narrow track when she was not able to set a faster pace because of the jotuns horse only a foot or so in front of her. The track was wet now, small puddles forming on its rocky surface as she pulled the tunic about her and dropped her head to avoid both Jor's sight and the chill of the breeze but she could not avoid her horses shoulder as he pushed forward suddenly. Loki glared behind them and saw the mischief writ clear on the jotun's coarse face while he was looking at something his hands were doing below her line of sight. She turned her back on him and patted the big neck beside of her, the horses ears shifted as he adjusted to something again and an anxious feeling pooled in her stomach. 

" Shift you damned lump!" She heard Jor growl.The horse moved again and she heard a muttered curse from the jotun and heard a loud slap which made the beast tense up and shift his body closer to the cliff face, she chanced a glance back and saw Jor pry himself loose where he had become wedged between the horses rump and the wall. She felt a wash of relief and bent to stroke her horses impassive face, whatever Jor had been planning Blackie had foiled him! She blinked the rain out of her eyes as she felt the horse tense again. What was the man doing now she thought too afraid to look back but drawing as close to the horse in front as she could. The big head pulled at the reins in her hand and she looked fearfully over her shoulder. Jor had given up with the inside track and was pushing past the horses side towards her on the outer side instead. Her hands tensed on the reins in her fear and the horse stopped obediently allowing the jotun to reach her stirrup. Jor grinned wickedly and his big hand reached forward for her eagerly and as she tried to shy away her hand pushed the reins and the big horse shifted too. 

" Maid, no!" The big man cried as he was pushed sideways by Blackie's bigger shoulder and his feet lost their grip on the rain slicked path and went over the ledge. Loki felt a terrific wrenching pull on her body and she was suddenly dragged to her knees on the muddy track so she flung her hands and shoulder as best she could round her horses thick leg. She looked down at where Jor now hung over the edge his eyes wide with fear and one hand desperately clasping her belt while the other scrabbled for grip on the crumbling path. "Lord, help!" he shouted then turned to her ." You did that on purpose you bitch, you are as cursed as they say!" he spat out. She felt him struggle below her and a strange calm settled on her as she looked down at him. She stretched her hand to the nape of her neck as he roundly cursed her, Thor, the horse and the rain and began to pull himself back over the edge. The knife was small certainly but sharp, it might do well enough for this little cut she thought in the strange peaceful space in her head as her long slim fingers got to work. She saw him look up at the vibration through his hand and she could see the moment when fear turned to terror in his swarthy face. She dug her bare heels into the mud to balance herself better as his struggles became more desperate when he saw what she was doing. The thin leather of her belt split like ripe fruit under the blade of the penknife and her heart remembered her disgust at the feel of his unwelcome hands on her body. The strip parted and he dropped away but scrambled with strong blunt fingers in the dirt of the paths edge. She rose to stand over him as he hung, still cursing below her until he saw the cool, flat green of her eyes in her bone white face and his curses turned to pleading. She listened to his prayers to some unknown god as she thought of his sly kicks to her helpless Thor and leaned firmly against the warm black shoulder of her horse who shifted amiably aside for her to stand his iron shod hoof firmly on Jor's fear frozen hand.

Jor rolled more than fell away from her with a quickly silenced scream as his body gained momentum on the sheer slope before limply rebounding off grey boulders until it disappeared into the dense undergrowth far below.


	11. Nightfall.

Loki's hand was trembling as she bent to pick up Blackie's reins and without looking back she pulled him forward to catch up with the now vanished others, the horse only hesitated until the small string of other horses that Jor had left behind him began to follow as well. The girl insisted though walking as fast as she could drag him until after a few minutes she saw the dark rump of the guards horse loom out of the rain ahead of them. Her feet were bruised on the stony path as she had hurried but it kept her mind from Jor and she let her breathing calm as they settled into the train again. The pen knife was still in her hand and she swiftly tucked it back into the sheath of her hair again as she walked. She could not see Thor but the horses soft nudges at her back and its sweet smelling breath comforted her as she trudged on. She barely noticed when what seemed like hours later the path widened and she saw Thor rather dejectedly standing a short distance away from her. She wanted to throw herself against him suddenly, to feel his strength around her and hear his deep voice telling her everything would be fine but she knew that would draw attention to them so she stayed where she was. The remaining Jotuns went about their chores and one of the guards took the reins from her chilled hand to add her horse to the lines and she was pleased when his feedbag was filled for him. She went over to stand beside Thor as his collar and leash was removed and she allowed herself to lean her cold wet back against his broad warm chest.

"Oh, Loki, you are freezing." Thor said when she touched him.

"I am sorry." she said wearily pushing away from his body again.

"No, no silly, I meant for you to come closer, so that I can warm you." He lifted up his arms in invitation and she gratefully sunk back against him to be enveloped in his mighty arms again with a sigh. She allowed her eyes to close when one of the guards called over to he other.

"Where's Jor now, I am not doing the fire again, its definitely his turn to make dinner." he was grumbling. She looked at her brother but he was not particularly listening to the others, piling their packs and tack into an orderly pile near the settling horses.

"Are you all right, lass? Come, we may as well find somewhere to sit, your feet must be so sore. I would willingly lend you my boots if they would fit you, you know." He said moving them over to a spot slightly sheltered by the stone face of the hill and drawing her onto his lap. "You feel so tense, try and rest."

" I am sorry, I am just wet through. Do you think this is where we are camping tonight?" she said quietly, trying to listen to the Jotun's.

"I heard one say something about shelter but I do not see any." she felt him twist to look about them and she silently enjoyed the rough brush of his beard across her forehead as he moved. When he turned back he hugged her tight." I am proud of you for getting those knives, Loki, I will try and find an opportunity to make use of them but do not be tempted to use them yourself..."

" But Thor, I.." She started to tell him but he held up his hands and closed his eyes to end the conversation and she was too miserably cold and wet and too worried about what was going to happen when the Jotuns found out about Jor to insist on finishing her sentence. Anyway she did not know whether it would be safer for him not to know anything so she fell silent watching a guard bend to talk to Bylister. The prince threw a look at them when he stood and his face looked angry but instead of coming over as she feared he sent the guard to watch them while he went himself back down their trail as the dark of night closed in. She was closing her tired eyes against Thor's shoulder when the thought struck her and she jolted alert again, the belt, she had hurried on from Jor so hastily that she had not looked for it when he dragged it from her with his weight. Was it on the track with the knife cuts so clear on its surface? Her belt and a dead man in the scrub below the track where it lay?

"Loki did you wake from another bad dream?" Thor rumbled behind her and she felt like hiding him from the storm she was sure would be returning up the path. His big hands drew her back into him and he said in a kindly voice." Settle, maid. It feels nice with you next to me, right, even though we are still with this scum." he paused as she settled stiffly beside him again." Loki?" his voice was soft now almost shy.

She looked up at him her breath catching in her throat, had he guessed that she was a murderer before she had a chance to explain? " Yes, lord." she replied anxiously.

"Would you let me hold your hands in mine? " he was boyishly shy and without thinking she lifted her hands to his face and pulled him down into a long strong kiss only broken when they panted for air. She smiled her face as flushed as his had been then as he beamed back. "Whatever happens, my maid, my time with you will have made everything worth it. A lifetime with you would be too short."

Loki felt the tears spring to her eyes at his loving words as she allowed herself to believe them as a comfort as she slid her hands carefully between his bound ones. " Oh Thor, it has been a pleasure I could never have hoped for, if this is my last hour, I would wish to spend every second in your arms." So saying she slipped herself beneath his arms again and plastered as much of herself as she could manage against his broad frame closing her eyes to await the storm while listening to his strong, steady heartbeat.

Bylister returned eventually with a face as clouded as she had feared and stalked straight across to a guard tending their smoky fire. The man stood up with a shake of his head and she saw her brother's fist's clench before he came towards stand above them where they still sat. Thor struggled to his feet despite his hobble, pulling Loki with him as he went, to stand eye to eye with him when he arrived. The Jotun pulled at Thor's wrist's checking his bonds were still tight then lifted hers too and tugged to test their security, he shoved them down with a grunt of frustration and she had to school her face to blankness when he stared at her with his black almost hungry eyes. 

"We are here for tonight." Was all he said, pushing the Aesir to the ground before the cliff face again and then he left them. She sat with a graceless thump almost on Thor in her shock. What of Jor? 

"I am glad you find me a comfy seat, lass," he said easily adjusting her to sit more comfortably in his lap and she had no urge to move off as her brain tried to make sense of what was happening among the jotuns. " Is that better?"

"Hmm?" she asked distractedly then "Oh! Thor I am too heavy!" She said realizing how close they were together, Thor must have thought she sought this intimacy!

"I can barely feel you, sadly. I can see why Aris gave you that tunic!" He kissed her on the shoulder through the velvet. "Do not look so surprised, wife." he smiled mischievously at her, his blue eyes crinkling delightfully at the corners and she had to smile back. "We are among bandits, up a mountain and it is raining! A kiss is a most pleasant distraction!"

Loki softened at that and despite her worry she cold not resist that smile and lent into him , letting his arms enfold her again before looking back into his gentle eyes. She wanted to tell him so much, the deaths and her fears but when she was with him her resolve melted out of her and all she wanted to do was have him closer yet. She did not resist long and when his mouth found hers she could think of nothing else, slowly relaxing and responding to every move of his lips on hers. 

"If my Lord finds you like that he will break your legs slowly, Aesir." They jumped as a big shadow fell across them." Things are not going as he planned and anyway he has other plans for her." The glum guard pointed at the girl as he put bowls of soup and chunks of hard waybread on the ground beside them. 

"This is supper? Small fare!" Complained Thor his stomach growling as they disentangled themselves from each other and began to eat.

"You get what we all have." The man said grumpily." Only my lord gets the wine, it is not for the likes of us and Aris has gone ahead." 

"Wine would improve this mush." Thor said as she rested her back against his side for warmth, he huffed and gave her a smile though when she gave him her still half full bowl as he quaffed down the last of his own supper. The dark bread was tough to chew despite being dunked in the soup but that was strangely comforting as it extended the meal and gave their needy stomachs something to work on.

"I wish the rain would stop." she said quietly as she watched the guard settle heavily against a small tree which made it shed its water in large drops to soak them even further. Thor seemed impervious to the wet and she watched him with pleasure as he sat chewing stoically as the rain came off of his hair and went running down to drip of the end of his nose. How could he look so handsome and calm? She wondered why no one had mentioned Jor and stopped eating her appetite deadened by the thought. "Can you eat more, husband, you will need the energy."

"I would rather see you eat it, Loki, I do not know how you have lived on so little these last days as it is." He said holding her hands again in his and then putting the bread to her mouth, she looked into his uncharacteristically serious blue eyes. 

"I will take every other bite then." she eventually agreed when he would not drop his eyes. He smiled at that small triumph and she took hers and then he did too, tugging at the bread with his strong white teeth. Their eating of the bread became one of their comfortable little games, passing it between them with a rhythm and smiling when they got it right or wrong until he insisted she take the last morsel when it became too small for them both to hold.

" Can we always share food that way when we get home?" he asked?

" Your mother would never approve. Can you imagine your fathers face?" she smiled at him and he laughed a little at the thought.

" My parents will love you when you get to know each other." he paused his face falling again." I am so sor..." but she put her hands to his lips before he could finish his sentence.

" Hush, you have nothing to be guilty about, unless you hired my brother to delay our married life!" She insisted, then gave him a tiny smile as the chill of the rain drew a long shiver from her." You didn't did you?"

"Oh, Loki, come here," he raised his arms for her to slide into. "I have never had anything further from my thoughts, if I could I would magic us into our own chambers this very instant. Never doubt me." He tried ineffectively to draw a fold of his sodden shirt over her as she drew herself tight against him, hiding from the chill in the air. She breathed his personal smell into her lungs while he bent his head to hers to do the same. She tried to get closer as if to hide herself in him then stilled a moment before tilting back her head to look into his now beloved face. She looked long into his eyes trying to find words for her thoughts but could not so instead she moved to slip her bound hands beneath a long rip of his tattered shirt she rested her cool fingertips on the warm skin of his side and watched his eyes flare open wide in surprise. "Loki?" he said with a sharp intake of his breath and she drew her hands away hurriedly in dismay.

"I, I am sorry, I did not mean to offend." she said ducking her head away in burning shame at his rejection. How could she have been so foolish to think the golden prince would allow the likes of her to touch him! She felt him move suddenly beside her as she tried to wriggle away but his hands did not push but pulled her roughly towards him his breath ragged against her cheek. He was crushing her painfully hard and she felt a flash of fear as tears sprang into her eyes. 

"Loki!" he growled her name again, so close his words reverberated in her head then she felt his lips on the line if her neck beneath her ear sipping kisses from along the muscle towards her shoulder. She froze, trying to understand what was happening. "Loki." He rumbled into the pulse point where her skin dipped and her body shivered again but not with the cold this time. She pushed him away from her to try to read his face, expecting disgust or maybe pity but instead the strange look on his face was one she had never seen before. 

"Thor, I did not mean to anger you!" she panted seeing the blue of his eyes blown dark in the dim light and having heard the animal in his voice. His brows furrowed at her words and the fear in her face. 

"Anger? You know I have never been angry at you, my lovely, brave wife!" he whispered in her ear, the roughness of his voice seemed to belie his words. He came closer to her the water dripping from his onto her face was perceptibly warmer than the rain it mixed with there. "I would but.... love thee, away from here in another place I would worship you as you deserve!" And his head dropped to cover her mouth with his silencing any response she might have thought to make.


	12. Maid again.

It was her face that froze in surprise then and Loki felt her own eyes widen. Could Thor actually want her as a man could want a woman? But the years of scorn in Jotunheim brought her pounding heart a twist of reality despite his eager lips on hers and she pitied her husband's obligation to produce the Asgardian heir with her. She knew well how she stood against the glory of his own peoples womenfolk even as she yearned for him, one only had to think of the ripe golden beauty of the queen to know how far her own scrawny dark shadow was below their standard. The distaste her own father and brother treated her with was an unwelcome reminder of her own inadequacies and only Mara, her nurse, servant and silent confident had been able to tolerate her company in all her life. Now her despicable brother had dragged them both into his dangerous power play. Both of them were gasping for a moment as he drew his mouth back briefly and she wanted to absolve him from his responsibilities to her, she really did, but his lips were like a drug and she ached for their return. She heard him take a deep breath which she echoed before he kissed her again and she felt herself pushing forward into his hard body as he pushed back against hers.

She screamed in shock and pain as it felt as if her scalp was being wrenched off as she was yanked backwards and collided with the clamping ring of Thor's big arms. She smelt wine as a brawny fist grazed by her head landing with a horrible noise on Thor's face and he tried to hold her still as he fell backwards but the other's hand still gripped her plait. She reached out for him grasping and ripping the ruined white shirt even more as he stumbled in his cursed hobbles but she could not hold his weight as he fell. The hand in her hair dragged her away from him despite her twisting like a fish on a hook and her bound hands could only let her scratch ineffectually at leather cuffs which she already knew too well. Bylister!!

"No! Let her go, she is your sister, have mercy, Jotun!" Thor said holding fast despite the bruise that had begun to darken on his cheek from Bylister's blow.

Her brother kicked out with the heel of his riding boot at Thor's shoulder and detached her from his grip with a mighty tug that took her right off her feet and threw her back against the rocky ground with a jolt that hurt her still healing ribs. She saw the neck of the wine jar sticking out from his jerkin pocket, he had been drinking! She watched in horror as her brothers huge fist thumped again into Thor's head again as he tried to rise, while blocking the blow with his bound hands. 

"Scum, do not talk of her in your foul Asgardian tongue! You are not worthy to even set eyes on her! In what world would you be worthy of a Maid of Jotun, you Aesir dog!!" He shouted with eyes wild with fury. " A prince you call yourself? A prince of what? A realm where their palace is raided like scrumping apples from a farmers orchard? Where our Maid was paraded like a bitch in heat for any with eyes to see? Lord and servant alike let near her with none to defend her Modesty!!" He ranted his voice thick with vitriol as he gestured wildly at them both with arms that were flailing like the sails of windmills. He turned to her pointing with one long blunt finger. " And you! I told our father that you would be better off dead than be his brood mare but he would not listen!" 

The other Jotuns were arriving and they joined their Lord to stand over Thor, only her brother seemed to be aware of her. He stalked over to where she lay and she felt his rough hand on her arm dragging her up to her feet. "You will remember your place by my side soon enough." He shouted in her face." Modesty? No other but I will set eyes of you again where we are going. You were not raised to be bred by some alien dullard like him, you will bare the royal line of Jotun as was always your destiny!" There was a madness in his eyes as they bore into her's that was more than the wine his stinking breath betrayed. He held her tightly, possessively even, when he strode back to the others and she did not resist allowing her to be closer to where Thor now lay.

One of the guards had put his boot on the prone man's arm keeping him pinned to the ground but she met his anxious blue eyes with her own. She knew she must calm herself to find a way out for them both but she felt a weight of fear and fought to put it to one side as it tried to crowd out her thoughts. Bylister was talking loudly and she heard Jor's name which brought her back to what they were saying. 

".....not enough of us to be certain." her brother finished.

"Late tomorrow, at most the next day we should be there. We should at least try, we have come so far, if we can collect his ransom. We could break his leg, that would hold him." suggested a guard and the other nodded. Her heart flipped, were they talking about Thor?

"And let him die the long death, with nothing to sell at the end ? I will not tend him, will you?" the Lord said scathingly.

"His Lady......"the man was not swift enough to avoid the blow from Bylister that caught the back of his head.

"Not his Lady," fumed her brother." Never again his lady, remember that she is reclaimed by Jotnheim and again is of our royal house. Our Lady now," He looked round at her with that strange look in his eye she had noticed when he had first arrived at the Asgard palace with their father." No, MY lady. She will only be known as my lady now." His tongue ran lightly across his teeth as he spoke and shiver ran through her. 

"Your lady could tend him then." The guard he had struck said carefully looking at her angrily. She thought by the scowl that crossed his face her brother might strike the man again but instead he put his annoyance into his voice.

"She is no servant! He will not touch her again. When she is your Queen and bearing my heir you will know what an honor it is to have traveled with her." Thor stirred at that, his face a mask of disgust.

"I swear, Jotun, I will kill you my.... " The girl flinched as he was quickly silenced by a kick to his ribs from his guard. Bylister looked down at him as at dirt.

" Watch him well, I will keep my lady by me so he will be your only concern." he said even at that the two men looked less than pleased to be left with the big warrior. "Take him down to the fire so you can watch him better."

He held her back then as the others dragged Thor up and then pushed him towards where a poor fire struggled downwind of the horses nearer the path. Loki stood dripping wet and miserable watching them go, only glad that her husband was still walking and relatively uninjured after the blows. She had enough problems of her own she realized as her mind tried to focus on their options. She felt faintly disturbed by the lack of guilt she felt over Jor's death, her mind balanced Thor's safety easily against the loss of a thoroughly noxious thug like him. It also reduced the ratio of enemies to the two of them, three, four if and when Aris returned, but her lord was fettered and she knew she would struggle to keep even one of them distracted in a straight fight. Distraction. An idea brushed lightly across her mind. Distraction came in many forms. Luck had been on her side with the other two but she was aware of another, unfamiliar, feeling flit through her. Pride! Pride in herself on her two victories, luck or not, they sat comfortingly within her heart. She was anxious about telling Thor who was nearly a stranger but Mara, Mara would be proud if she ever heard the stories!

"Come sit over here, my Loki." Bylister's gruff voice broke into her reverie nodding at where Thor and she had sought shelter. His hand still held her but he was allowing her to move before he pulled her by force she was curious to note. She thought for a moment until he gave an insistent tug on her arm then she dropped her eyes and obeyed his suggestion silently. She felt him walking uncomfortably close to her but she ignored that to try and concentrate on the beginnings of a rudimentary plan as she picked her way carefully over the rough ground before dropping as gracefully as she could to sit on the hard ground.

"Ah, Loki!" she heard the unnerving softness that came immediately into his voice when she did his bidding as it had done when she was a child. She sat as still as the statue she knew he would wish her to be as he settled close beside her." You are so beautiful," She felt his warmth on her cheek and smelled his rancid breath as he spoke. " Truly a Maid without comparison. The last Maid. My Maid." 


	13. Revenge.

His Maid?

Never. 

Loki knew that as surely as she breathed. She realized with a physical twist in her chest that she had given her fealty to her big, kind husband who tried to do his best for her at every difficult turn. Was this love then? She had little experience of it although she knew she loved Mara and would do anything for her but this, this made her feel like a moth attracted to his fire. Her thoughts and feelings tumbled about with him always at the center and this other man, her brother, beside her felt too close and oppressive in a way he could never be. She tried to focus against the revulsion that rose in her at his presence. His Maid?

"Father agreed to this years ago." His voice was pitched lower than normal and she smelt wine again as he took another drink. She wanted to look at him but dared not, if she could not see him he could not see her ran the mantra through her head. The rule was at the core of Modesty. But her brother had called her beautiful so after all the vitriol and insults she had endured which was his lie? She wished she had her practical friend Anne to ask.

"I fought for you, Loki, I would never have allowed you to go if I had thought that idiot," He gestured vaguely towards where Thor would be." would appreciate you enough to try and keep you for his own." Sentiment? Brotherly love? No. Never that. With the uncomfortable touches and handling he had always given her even as a young girl had he felt something else for her? Something that as she was his much younger sister he could not do anything about? And that hateful breathing 'game' that had caused her father to finally ban him from private access to her? The thought made her lip curl with disgust but rang true somewhere deep inside of her. And now here they sat, in the rain and banned from his court. He kept talking though she willed him not to.

"We will have to lie low meantime of course but I will find a woman to tend you as our child grows in you." He sounded thoughtful." Father will have to accept us back in court then, treaty be damned and you shall return to your rooms." Her muscles tensed at his ramblings but she forced them to settle. She only had one chance that she could see and keeping Bylister on side was crucial to it. She felt him move and the wine slapped in the bottle as he drank deeply again. There was a long pause as she felt the rain begin to drip down her neck and slither in a cold trickle down her spine but still she did not move, fixed in her Modesty to endure. She allowed herself to acknowledge she missed her furnace of a husband and the chill was beginning to reach her bones. Her feet were freezing against the wet stones and she would have liked to at least to tuck them in under her shift but she would be being overly independent and Bylister was too immersed in his own thoughts to think of her comfort. Wait, bide your time, Loki, she schooled herself. Endure. 

He kept talking and talking, of his devotion to her, of his frustration, of her charms, of the historical 'line breeding' of royal lines and of his plans for them. Her stomach stopped squirming in revulsion as her mind allowed her to filter out his increasingly slurred droning. The most distracting thing for her was becoming the cold though, because her head was aching badly with the effort of stopping herself shivering and her teeth had begun chattering uncontrollably.

"Loki. I will make you worthy of the house of Laufrey." Was he still talking? He paused then and she hoped against hope that he might have fallen asleep but no, on he went again! " No, we will be worthy of the house of L....." 

And then Thor crashed through the bushes towards them from the direction of the fire! Neither She nor Bylister moved for a moment as they were both shocked inti immobility. 

"Loki, Loki."Thor was shouting as he staggered towards them dragging one of his guards behind him. He had somehow broken away from the men and was wild eyed until she managed to stand up stiffly her limbs sluggish to obey her from the cold and she was half running half limping towards him past the still stunned Jotun Prince. 

 "Oh Loki I thought he had harmed you." He said standing strong as she fell against him and unsuccessfully tried to force her still bound and frozen fingers to pluck out the small penknife from her rain slicked hair. She growled with frustration to see his hands still securely tied too, he must have been desperate she realized to make his break so unprepared. Why would he do that? But she thought she knew the answer now and her heart melted in her chest as she slid her useless fingers up his face while he leaned his shaggy head into them.

"I love you, Thor" She said at last knowing it for the truth. She saw the surprise her words engendered in him flare in his eyes before they were flooded with a more familiar softness she had seen before but had been unable to give name to till now.

"Thank you, my maid, for your gift. It is returned in double, triple measure as I hope you already know. " Was all he said as she felt his body yanked away and Bylister pushed her bodily into the mud as he drove a punch into Thor's undefended gut. 

"No!" she heard herself scream scrambling forward to grasp at his leg to try and stop him. "No, leave him alone, take anything but not him!" Bylister laughed at that kicking himself free from her, his previously wheedling words gone.

"You who would throw themselves at another so freely? After me wasting time to show you the honor that could have awaited you? "His dark eyes glittered in his swarthy face as he roughly kicked her away from him and back into the mud. "You have nothing to offer now that I will not take, bitch!"

Although Thor pulled hard against the hands that held him they had him tight now and he could only glare at his enemy. "You are perverted slime, Jotun, Loki is my wife and will be Queen of Asgard one day in her turn. She will never be yours while I have breath in my body!" He growled.

Bylister stopped at those brave words. Loki looked through the darkness and rain at him hoping for mercy but seeing none in those rough hewn features. Worse they split into a wickedly sharp grin. " Ha. Your words are true, while you draw breath she cannot truly be free of you." the girl saw the dark thoughts flicker across his hated features and her hands flew to her face before he spoke again in a deep menacing tone taking pleasure in leaning close to the other man's face . "You have signed your own death warrant, Aesir, as you say Loki will never be my wife till she is a widow made."

" No, Thor, beware!" An expression of confusion passed over Thor's grimy features as she cried out his name in a warning to him but it was of no use. Bylister moved back before delivering a heavy stunning blow to Thor's head with his fist, rocking him back limply into the other men's arms. She cried his name again but her husband did not respond and she crawled forward to try and reach him. It was more of a hard shove with his foot than a kick that pushed her back down this time but the boot stayed heavy on her back, holding her there. She felt the chill of the pooled water soaking through her as she lay with her long hair dragging in the muddy water in front of her horrified eyes while the two guards supported Thor's sagging body. 

"Kill him." she heard the words she dreaded like lead weights dropping into her heart. The guards looked at their master and one looked as though he might be about to say something but then closed his mouth again. "Kill him and throw his body down the gorge so no one can find it." He said calmly. Her head sunk in defeat, the boot on her too strong to raise herself from under and her heart felt like a stone. Then the men turned to leave with their burden a hanging a deadweight between them and she felt fire run through her veins. She twisted beneath her brothers heel as the others pushed back through the undergrowth towards the main campsite and she managed to get partly free of his hold on her, scrabbling to regain her feet to try to follow them. 

"You have said your goodbye's to him and good riddance," Her brother's thick arm hooked round her narrow waist and with a tilt of his body he lifted her easily under it." you are returning to the life you were bred to live." he ignored her struggles and pleas and started to move them back towards the cliff face.

"Please," she quickly tried to use a calmer tone trying desperately to reach back to reach her hidden blade as her fingers regained feeling." Lord, I would be with you willingly if you would but spare him."

" Fickle creature," He said with disdain rich in his voice as he continued to walk." The deed is done and you are with me, willing or not." He cast her down looking at her scornfully as she lay in a muddy heap at his feet. 

"Please, he is a good man." she implored.

" It was your beauty brought him to his doom." That hurt but she also felt the hilt slip into place in her palm as he slumped down beside her and pulled out the wine again. Just let her be in time she prayed to any god who might be listening. He was taking a swig when she lunged at him aiming for his throat and plunging the small blade as deep into his sinewy neck as it would go and felt it rip through his skin with its sharp blade as he pulled away from her with a loud yell. She threw herself away from him as far as she could sawing feverishly at the thin leather at her wrists till it parted suddenly and she she was loose! 

Just let me be in time, she prayed again into the night as she pushed herself up looking towards where Thor had been dragged and she pushed herself of to run. A hand like an iron fetter clamped onto her ankle and she snarled in frustration at the delay striking snakelike at the offending fist. She connected but she was no warrior and he was one of Jotuns finest and if she struck like a viper then he was an enraged bull as he rose to loom over her.

She felt a sharp pang of fear before it was totally overwhelmed by a long fearful cry from beyond the trees. She stilled then as her heart froze in her breast.

A feral grin spread over his coarse, blood stained features as he looked down at her snow white face.

" Too late, My Maid, You are a widow before you were e're a wife!"


	14. Still raining.

The mournful cry coming up from the camp hit her then like a blow to her stomach and she could not have moved even if Bylister's hand had not gripped her. The breath huffed out of her and her fire was extinguished as her brother drew her back into his grasp with little resistance, his face a mask of fury and something more heated despite his injury. Loki felt drained and the chill of the rain moved within her as hope moved out, the bright flicker of hope that Thor and her future in Asgard had ignited in her was extinguished with his death and she tasted nothing but its ashes in her mouth. Bylister drew her closer to him breathing harshly and not all from exertion and for the first time his heavy arms so rough and unwelcome compared to her beloved prince's kindly warmth closed around her. He struck her across her face and she absently tasted the tang of blood as her teeth hit her lip and her head rung.

" I should strike you dead where you stand, you traitorous bitch!" She felt his spittle splatter her skin he was so close to her." But my need of you is like hunger! Your soft flesh and white skin are like food to me and I am starved for it. I have waited too long but I have no need to wait longer!" He pushed her back and as in a dream she felt him lower her to the stony ground his face at first confused at her passivity and then the hunger from previous meetings flared in them. Blood dripped on to her from the vicious rip she had caused in his neck but he ignored it and she saw a flick of his tongue across his coarse lips as she turned listless green eyes on him.

"Ha, Loki, you are fickle indeed if you have accepted me so soon! I thought you would continue to fight me but I am glad you have seen sense." he started, his voice gravel harsh and deeper than she remembered. Loki saw his sinewy hand come up to rest on her face and she felt the broad, calloused pads of his fingers against her skin as an involuntary shiver overcame her. When had he brought his face so close to her's? "Your husband is dead." he said barely above a whisper too close to her ear but she hardly ducked away in disgust." Long live your new husband."

"Never, I would rather be dead!" She whispered more to herself than to him, so soft and listless she hardly recognized it as herself. 

"Never, I would rather be dead!" She said more strongly as his lips brushed against her skin and a tide of revulsion swept over her.

"Never, I would rather be dead!" The tide became a roar in her ears and her hand came up to strike his as it strayed from her face down her neck and under the collar of her shift, the forgotten knife still held in her numb fingers. The blade stuck into the meat of his forearm and as he cursed her and grabbed for it she was pushed back and her hand came to rest on one of the many stones scattered around them. 

"NEVER, I WILL DIE FIRST!" she cried and the energy surge her plan gave her added strength to her sudden desire to at least join Thor in death. She used both hands to swing the sizable rock and with a fleshy thump swung it with all her strength into the distracted Jotuns head. He staggered then and went down like a felled tree and she was on her feet and moving away from him before he might recover enough to catch her again. Up she leaped and ran like a gazelle as swift and smoothly as her long legs could carry her over the uneven ground towards the love of her short unhappy life. She could not have the life she had hoped for with Thor but now she would not let her brother deny her joining him in death.

The horses shifted nervously as she burst through to the campsite but she could not see the guards except for a movement beyond the kit pile she assumed was one of them her noise had alerted. The precipice awaited her and she would not be distracted. It lay beyond the track now shrouded in deep shadow and she slowed wishing she knew exactly where her husbands body lay. She hesitated a moment on the edge hoping to see his marks but all was smooth around the edge and there was none to ask so she stopped for a second. She drew a deep breath before raising her head high like the princess royal she was and then she stepped forward out into the gaping maw of darkness beyond.

" Loki?" a soft voice said her name and a strong hand swept itself round her waist. Was Bylister so quick to catch up with her? Unarmed now she curled her long fingers, as she was spun round, to scratch out his blue eyes.... Wait blue? Could some sort of afterlife have been so easily attained? " Shh, Loki, what are you doing, you nearly fell! Where is your brother?" This ghost Thor asked of her disbelieving ears as she stared at him in confusion! "Loki?"

"Are we dead?" Her voice was flat in her own ears and everything seemed to slow down to a crawl of its normal pace. Thor's face turned to her fearful and confused. "Did it have to be raining so hard in this world too?" she said. He had been holding her about her waist still and had pulled her near to him but at her words he held her a little away from him and looked straight into her eyes.

"Loki? What do you mean? Can we be dead and still be talking together?" He looked about him with a hint of anxiety in his voice." Why do you think we are dead? Is that your blood?" he said staring at her, his trusting eyes round as she slowly looked down at her gore stained clothes!

"The guards killed you and threw you into the gorge!" she said with a sense of unreality as she looked at his handsome dirty face. Did ghosts still bear their earthly bruises? That was odd.

"No, I killed the guards, I am pretty certain." he shook his head slowly. "They are over there." He pointed uncertainly beyond the horses. Horses? She looked over to where they stood stoically, rumps hunched against the rain. There was Blackie large and wet. Why would he be dead with them? Buck up Loki!! You did not get phantom horses! Things suddenly snapped back up to speed. She looked beyond Thor and saw the splayed feet of a man among the packs! "Are you all right Loki, did you hurt your head? Where is your brother?" 

"We are alive, Thor!" she said with wonder in her voice!

" I thought so, you just sounded so sure I nearly believed you." His voice held his relief and she shook her head and smiled up at her lovely trusting husband. "Bylister, where is he Loki? Try and concentrate, I need to know." Fear ran through her at that name and she held tighter to his arm looking back towards where she had left him. She had run and left him, was he even now watching them, ready to attack? 

"He was up where we sat, by the cliff, I hit him with a rock!" She told him breath short in her chest. "Let us run now and get away before he finds us." and she tried to pull him towards the path but he stood firm his arm looped tightly round her waist again.

"No Loki, you need not worry now, I am free and I will never let him near you again. Your knife saved us. Look, I have it still." His voice was deep and calm and he showed her Borgs long hunting knife was in his other hand and she was sure that there was more than dirt on the blade. "I have a short sword from one of his men too so we have little to fear, stay here and I will go and find him though, just to be sure." she looked up into his serious face and she knew he was right, her brother was still a danger to them.

" Please do not leave me, husband. I will come with you." She said leaning into him and feeling a long awaited kiss on her hair.

" Remember when we were joking about me taking care of fighting and you would make us comfy, my maid?" My maid, she heard and felt a warmth inside her at those words. " Well, we have not been very lucky with either so far but that will change now. I am our warrior and you must promise to listen to me and do as I say in this. Do you understand, my lass?" His furrowed brow looked so serious she wanted to kiss it smooth again but she nodded instead and tucked a loose lock of his wild hair behind his ear affectionately.

"Anything you say, Thor, as long as you are safe by my side." His face softened then and he tightened his grip on her and dipped forward for a quick sharp kiss before drawing him behind her as they started to return along the way she had come. It seemed to take longer because her husband checked around them carefully with every step they took. The rain made noise all around them and she peered into shadows expecting her brother to leap out from behind every tree, actually jumping closer to her lord when the wind rustled leaves behind them. His hand though was round her's now warm and strong and she did not hesitate, pushing forward with him to find Bylister. 

The rock face loomed out suddenly above them and she looked over to the base pointing with her left hand towards where she had left her brother before she fled in despair. She tried to see round her husbands considerable bulk but he kept pulling her back behind him for shelter. So she was keeping such an anxious eye behind them in case Bylister waited there in ambush that when Thor stopped suddenly she bumped straight into him. He said nothing but she saw the tension clenching across his broad shoulders and he held her more firmly as she stood in his wake.

" I think I see him. You must stay here and not move," He whispered back at her and he turned her so that she faced away and put the hand of her's he held flat against the wall." Close your eyes too and whatever you hear do not look." He glanced at her then for confirmation and she nodded slowly, unsure in case he might need help and she might not be ready. "Do you not trust me Loki?" He raised his eyebrows and she shut her eyes immediately for him then. The comforting warmth of his hand squeezed hers then left her bereft as she heard him move away leaving her with nothing but the chill of the wet cliff against her fingers.

She could hear him for one maybe two steps through the squally weather but then his movement merged with the rain and she only had herself. The minutes seemed to drag and she found herself straining to hear anything and she began imagining the worst and that her older maybe more experienced brother had murdered her golden prince. Why had she let him go alone? She reached the end of her nerve, how had she been so foolish as to leave him to face their enemy without her? She began to turn when a soft voice spoke out from just behind her.

" He is dead, Loki." is all it said.


	15. Taking stock.

Loki froze, her fingers curling into the rough stone of the cliff face and her mind spinning, the speech was male but so quiet that she could barely make out the voice.

"I am sorry, lass." She turned then throwing herself at him with a passion that would brook nothing less, tears flowing faster than the rain fell as she flung herself around his neck and twisted her fingers deep into his long tangled hair. 

"Thor, Thor. Oh Thor we are alive, we have won! " She said plastering herself to him as tightly as she could. Thor took a step back and she saw the surprise on his face at her onslaught.

"Did you not hear me, Loki? I am afraid your brother is dead. I had to kill him!" Did he think she should be upset? Was she behaving inappropriately? She stood back a little from him not letting him go but trying to read his face. "Please do not hate me for it." he added forlornly. Did he not realize she would happily have killed Bylister herself these many days if she could have found the strength? She put her hands up to his face.

" Thor I do not think I could hate you, whatever you might do!" She said holding her hands flat on his cheeks and looking as deeply into his eyes as she could. "I am so sorry my brother has put you through all this, can you ever forgive me?" The clouds lifted in his sky blue eyes and an unsure smile twisted his lips. In lieu of answer he dipped his head and kissed her, soft at first touch but then pushing against her lips until they had to part to draw breath! 

"There must be a way to kiss and breath or our race would die out." He was smiling properly now panting a little and his familiar rumble of laughter was a joy to her ears. "I look forward to practicing with you as much as possible!" She was a little abashed but moved back in for another kiss keenly enough until Thor lent back from it his strong white teeth in a tighter smile suddenly.

" Lord?" She looked up at him as a thread of anxiety rippled across her, was he not attracted to her after all? But his arm stayed tight around her waist and a spark was lit behind his eyes she saw.

" No, no we will not know peace with ... things remaining unfinished. Their is one rogue unaccounted for, the one with sly eyes and I will not be caught unawares by his return." He said thoughtfully and she realized he must not know about Jor.

"The one who kicked you that day? He is dead already, I... he was...a horse pushed him from the cliff as we climbed here!" she did not want to tell him she was twice a murderer, unsure of his reaction. Later, she would tell him later. He gave her a big smile at her news though and a peck on her lips as reward.

"Excellent!! And Aris sent ahead wherever we were being taken. A complete hand then, I can hardly believe it but our luck has clearly changed for the better at last, maid!!" He seemed distracted still, though she would have liked a longer kiss. After a few moments he turned her to look into her face. "I will have to ...clear a few things up before we can rest, we will go back to the horses first and get you warm by the fire. You are a little the worse for ware." She looked down at her ripped and blood stained clothes and muddy bare feet and had to agree. She looked then at his tattered clothes and filthy, bruised face too and he slipped her a wry smile. " We have had some terrible days, lass, and I would see things get better for you as quickly as we can. Please let me save your poor feet this little way." He swept her swiftly into his arms before she could object. "I told you I did not mind you getting used to this!" 

Instead of objecting as he expected she allowed herself to luxuriate in his embrace and held him with her long fingers threaded happily round his neck. The short path was warming to both her body and heart as she rested her cheek against the ruin of his shirt with the first blossoming of contentment since the hope of her wedding night. He did not put her down when they arrived at the fire but held her close still and she found herself enjoying watching him in the spluttering light while he looked around them, tacking stock of their situation she assumed.

"You must wait here, Loki, I have things to do." he said carefully returning her to her feet. He looked at her seriously, his brow furrowed again and she felt deliciously cared for suddenly." This time you have truly nothing to fear in the dark and must wait here for me, do you promise me that?"

"I understand." she nodded guessing some of what he planned," but I can help if you need me, my husband. You need not go alone."

"No, my maid, remember our deal? I am the protector and you are my comfort?" He said fondly still holding her waist and putting his hand behind her head to draw her in for a lingering kiss and then another before clearing his throat and drawing back briskly." Oh Loki you are altogether too lovely a distraction." He said shaking his head ruefully." Now sit on this," he said pulling over a pack and patting it flat. " and close your eyes for me, just for a few minutes." He sat her down and closed her eyes with big gentle fingers. 

She tried to sit still but her ears seemed to pick up noises and she knew Thor was moving the Jotun bodies. She swallowed hard, realizing with a shock their probable fate and put her fingers hard into her ears and tucked her chin into her chest suddenly sickened by the thought of it and deeply relieved now that Thor had insisted he worked alone. She felt a comforting hand ruffling through her hair once and then she was alone for what seemed like an age, thumbs on her eyes and fingers beginning to make her ears ache. She could hear or see nothing but that made the feel the drips of from the blowing trees more clearly and she began to feel the warmth drip from her with it so she tucked her feet in and wrapped her elbows round her knees and dropped her forehead onto them to seal the night out.

"It is done, Loki." The hand that slipped around her again what seemed like hours later had Thor's trademark warmth and she held it gratefully with both of her cold wet ones as it helped her to her feet. She rose and slipped against him as tears began to flow in earnest down her face in an unstoppable stream as she tried to hide herself in the space between his arm and his chest. Thor just stood quietly holding her in his arms, not speaking but gently rocking her like a babe and kissing her hair as she sobbed. 

"I am sorry, my lord." she finally sniffed after a long while when she felt as if she had wept herself dry and all that was left was a rawness in her throat and a blocked nose. "I wanted to be stronger than this for you." she said swiping her reddened eyes with the back of one grubby hand. 

"You are still here, maid, you lived through this and thwarted your brother no one could ask more." He said standing back a pace and looking straight into her tired green eyes." I am so proud of you, my wife, that speech fails me." 

"And I you, my warrior prince." and he kissed her hair as he held her back to him again. They stood in silence for a little until Thor shifted uncomfortably and his stomach suddenly let out a loud rumble he dropped his eyes as he stood back and spoke in a contrite voice.

" Loki, I am really so sorry but I am starving still, our meal was poor fare and the hours between have been well used!!" she felt a laugh rising in her chest then like bubbles in the water of a spring at his guilty face." Shall we search the packs for food and I will raise the fire as best I can meantime?"

"Of course, my poor starving husband, how could I deny you?" She said through her smile." or your poor hard done to stomach! I will save the fire if you will find us food."


	16. Wed.

She turned to the guttering blaze and he the packs, the Jotuns had collected some branches and small pieces of wood already so she moved the cooking tripod aside and she nursed the embers into flame by using shreds of her ill used shift to fuel it before piling a load of wood on to the flames. She sat back on her heels then pleased that she still remembered the skill Mara had taught her a lifetime ago on summer trips during her childhood. As they began to throw off more heat she replaced the tripod and half filled the metal cooking pot with water from a skin before hanging it from its hook. The rain had eased and she put her hands to the flames again to enjoy the warmth then turned to see how Thor was faring.

" I found these, enough for a good stew at least." A small pile of food was laid beside him, oats, the last of the venison and a twist of salt so she rose again and went over to where he was still searching through the leather bags. " I have dry clothes for us and an oiled sheet, do you know how to cook?" 

" A little, maybe enough for this, I remember that you should not put too much salt in and to keep stirring too!" she said a little shyly at her ignorance.

"Better than I then, even my friends would rather eat food raw than suffer my cooking! Will you try, Loki?" he asked with his handsome face hopeful.

" We will find out if it is true that hunger makes the best sauce then." She picked up the grain and salt in one hand and the meat in the other looking at it doubtfully. "I think i might have to cut it up a bit first."

"Would you like me to help?" He looked up from his task drawing out a knife from his belt but she stared at it blankly recognizing it as Borgs. He looked at it too and realized that she might not wish to use it and slipped it away again." There are several to choose from over here." He bent and picked up a more slender one with an ornate handle and although she might guess its previous owner she took it anyway so as not to cause a fuss.

"I will manage, I think." She picked out a flat rock and brushed it as clean as she could by using the hem of the velvet tunic. The knife was sharp and soon she had a pile if meat chunks which she was pleased to place in the pot but how many handfuls of meal should she use? One each she guessed and then on further thoughts another two for Thor. Salt? A pinch and then another for luck. Looking at the grayish mix beginning to bubble over the now cozy fire she thought that luck was what they would need with this meal! She stirred it carefully before turning back to see how his side of things was going and smiled with delight. "Oh Thor, its magnificent." 

"Hmm." Flapping a little in the wind was a tent, well truth be, she thought that was a bit of a grand title for the structure made from an oiled linen sheet and attached at half a dozen points to trees by leather strips but it was as good as anything that she had seen in days. He had lain some cloaks on the ground and she recognized her brothers formal wolfskin too. Thor stood back and slipped a familiar hand round her middle as they looked at his handiwork. "Sorry Loki, it is the best I can do."

" Its perfect, thank you." And she leaned up to give him a peck on his cheek, he snorted and looked at her for scorn but he saw that it seemed she was happy with it and she felt his shoulders straighten with pride.

"I have clothes for us too so at least we will be dry tonight. I am going to weigh down the edges just now so we won't blow away, do you think supper will be ready then?" She smiled at the hope in his voice and pulled back with an affectionate pat to his flat belly.

"It will be soon, I think, let me go and stir it, I know that that is important." She pulled away from him then and hunkered down beside the fire to tend the stew as best as she knew how, stirring it often and tending the flames beneath it to keep it hot.

"Loki?." Thor stood looking down at where she crouched holding her long tangled hair out of the fire with one grubby white hand and trying to stop the unruly stew from sticking to the pot with lessening enthusiasm. 

"Hmm?" she answered distractedly still stirring hopefully.

" You look lovelier tonight than even you did at our wedding." She pulled her dark hair further out of her her face so she could see the expected mockery in his face but all she could see was honesty in his earnest blue eyes and a rose of a blush appeared on her high cheekbones as she dropped her hair back across her face to hide it. 

"This might be ready," she said to distract from her embarrassment." I hope you have a strong stomach!" 

" It looks fine and smells better." He comforted and brought two bowls from the packs and knelt beside her lifting the hot pot from the hook and set it on her flat chopping stone. Thor dipped one and then another of the bowls into the pot before putting them to cool beside the cooking pan and then dug out spoons from their supplies. When he pulled forward packs to sit on so that she sat tight in beside him with the heat from her fire and the bowls warming their hands she felt content. He dared the first mouthful blowing on it before popping it into his mouth, she watched him and smiled when he smiled. "Hot!" he puffed around it. "It tastes like a feast, Loki, its fine, try it." 

"A feast is going a bit far but it will definitely assuage your hunger." She said licking the thick pottage of the back of her spoon and it gave her real pleasure to watch him eat the meal with undisguised enthusiasm as it cooled. " How do you manage to eat so much?" she asked as he ladled in his third helping. 

" I would ask how do you eat so little? We have had no proper meals for days yet you are still only on your first bowl." he smiled at her happily wiping his beard clear of food debris. "You are a good cook, Loki, eat up and you might put some meat back on you bones!"

She felt pleasure at his companionable presence and agreed that the food was at least edible if thick and rather sticky requiring regular sips from the water skins to help it down. The rain began to fall again as she finished her bowl and Thor was enjoying an impressive forth portion and she found herself leaning against him and looking into the fire with her thoughts drifting pleasantly into a dwam while trying to unravel her tangled plait. She pulled at the strip from Thor's shirt but it was snagged and she tried to loosen it without taking the hair with it to no success, she drew a deep breath to yank it out when Thor's large hand enfolded her slender one.

"Please don't hurt yourself, let me do it, Loki." he asked in a soft voice and putting down his now clean bowl moved round behind her and began teasing out the tangled cloth with surprising gentleness. She felt herself relax into his ministrations as he ran his fingers thoroughly through the long strands straightening and smoothing it with such care that she began to relax into him again. He shifted a bit almost wriggling as if in discomfort but told her in a deep whisper, near to her ear. " Even after all this it is like dark silk," he brought it up to his nose and inhaled deeply, shifting away again in that same strange way. " and it smells of earth and you." 

" I am sorry but I have had little chance to keep clean," she said moving away from him self consciously, no wonder he was so uncomfortable to be close to her!" May i take a water skin?" 

" No, no, Loki," He stuttered quickly grabbing for her arm to return her to his side but she easily slid from his grip and bent for the water. "I meant I love your smell, er, scent, it is truly sweeter to me than any perfume." he tried to catch her arm again but she moved away further. "Please come back to me, its too dark to go away from the fire!" he added miserably trying in vain to regain his lost ground. 

" I will just go behind the tent then, did you say you had found some clean clothes, they would be most welcome?" she asked not wanting to meet his eye as she shyly reached over and took them when he held them out to her. She stood breathing hard and trying to calm herself, how foolish of her to think that she could not be foul to him especially in her unkempt state. The stodgy food sat heavily in her stomach and she felt tiredness creeping in and a tightness rose in her throat again as she poured the cold water into cupped hands and scrubbed at the dirt on her face and arms, no matter how hard she rubbed many of the marks would not come off and her feet and legs were worse with the scratches still livid as well. Taking off the filthy ruined clothes she pulled on the shapeless white shirt which dropped nearer her ankle than her knee fitting nowhere on her lanky body. The tunic was worse, extra broad shoulders made the arms longer than her fingers but finished halfway down her thighs. She pulled it off again with a sigh looking down at it and blinking away weary tears as the rain started to fall more heavily. She leaned against a tree miserably in the dark before unwillingly beginning to think of the Jotuns lying now in the same rain, cold and de... No Loki! she scolded herself sharply, you and your lord are well! Leave the others to their silence and the worms and choose at least to hold to hope you foolish girl!

" Are you all right?" Thor's voice sounded almost as unhappy as she felt and she rubbed the heels of her hands hard into her eyes before answering.

"Fine, Thor, I am fine." She heard his voice was much closer now and took a deep breath.

"Please come back to the warmth, Loki, you know how clumsy I can be with words." He must be standing in the tent his voice was so close through the cloth.

"You only spoke the truth, lord," she came back round the sheet to find him waiting and he stood looking at her with such a strange look on his handsome face that she felt her heart reach a new low, looking back down at her ill fitting clothes with dismay. " I am sorry they...." He was there before she could finish talking, holding her by her arms and she felt herself begin to draw away in surprise at his sudden movement and looked up anxiously into his blue eyes seeing that strange look was even stronger than before. "Please, lord...." 

"Loki please..." His eyes burned above his stuttering words as he pulled her back close releasing a huff of breath as she became pressed against him. He said nothing more but ducked his mouth to hers in a firm kiss against her own his hands tightly holding her still. She gasped a little and staggered on her release and she heard him growl as he turned away from her a little his head down and his fists balled.

"Thor, are you angry at me?" His hard kiss still burned on her lips and she put a daring hand on his shoulder to try and turn him back to her.

" No, no, not that." But he still would not look at her again.

"Are you ill? You are beginning to frighten me!" she pulled at him gently until he did turn but still would not look her in the eye.

"It is nothing to fear, Loki, I will be fine in a minute." She touched his forehead to test for fever and he did seem somewhat heated but before she could drop her hand he clasped it somewhat roughly in his own. He looked up at her then." You are so beautiful, maid, I struggle to think straight when I look at you. That is why I could not bear your closeness earlier nothing more." he said suddenly in a new gravelly voice deeply breathing in her scent again. Confused, her brow furrowed and he put his own fingers up to smooth it again before trying to clear his throat before he spoke again.

"I." he started." I." but seemed unable to find words. Thor was looking right at her now at least and his eyes and fingers still lingered on her cheek then slowly followed the line of her jaw and slid round to the back of her neck. He drew her back up towards his face again but softly this time, brushed his lips to hers and she calmed under his gentler touch. His kisses were light on her skin and she felt his lips move to the corner of her mouth before following the line of the slender column of her neck as she instinctively tipped back her head to expose the softness there for him. His other hand slipped round her narrow waist pressing her close and she could smell the rain on him and feel the heat of his larger body against hers. Her head was beginning to cloud with the influx of messages from her softening muscles in his embrace and she wondered vaguely whether she should say or do anything in return. Thor felt as though he had no hesitation of his exploration of her as he mouthed and kissed his way over any of her skin left exposed by her shirt and soon he began to nudge the collar lower to reveal more. The hand behind her neck had begun to rove across her shoulders and down her spine before returning to grip her long hair as she heard his breathing quicken against the dip at the base of her throat.

"Loki." he growled returning suddenly to the shell of her ear and the vibrations shivered through her igniting a matching fire deep in her body. "Wife." and the kisses became tiny nips with tender licks immediately soothing their shocks. Then she raised her own hand to him feeling with her finger tips along the roughness of his beard where it merged with his softer hair before tracing the thick rope of muscle down onto his shoulder. His whole body shuddered with her touch and she ventured her other hand between them to feel the hard flesh of his ribs beneath the tattered shirt.

" No, Loki," he gasped out then and she stilled in sudden doubt but his hands held her tight, forehead hard on hers. "I can not bear to stop but I need your voice to guide me, Maid." He pulled back then to see the unmatched beauty of her shadowed eyes and gestured to the makeshift tent. " I would wait if you wish, my lass." He nearly groaned out those words." You should not bear this for your wedding bed, it is too rough made and ill fitting to your desserts."

"It was made by you for us so what bed could be more fitting for me?" she purred and dared a taste of the soft salty skin by his eye with the tip of her tongue as confirmation. He lifted her as if she were as light as leaves and laid her down beside him in the tangle of cloaks beneath the rustling sheet of their shelter.

Thor smiled at her then, soft but almost wolfish as the firelight glinted off his teeth." We will make it right, my lady, after all it is for a lifetime."


	17. After dark.

Slowly Thor lowered her down in the dim light of the fire until she lay upon the piled cloaks while the oiled sheet shifted with a chill gust of wind above them. She was silent, his form pale above her as she felt him drop a kiss below her ear then on to her neck before sitting near her feet. By his shape and noises she realized he was only removing his boots but never had such a mundane act seemed so portentous to her as she felt him pause and heard him take a deep shaky breath before crawling up to join her. That breath made Loki's heart begin to race although she seemed to be frozen to immobility both in body and mind, If Thor was anxious then surely should she be as well? Her brief somewhat shocking talk with the Asgardian girl, Anne, that had befriended her at court had given her some hints as to the mechanics of what was expected of her as a wife but the reality was something very different.

"Loki?" His whisper was so close it made her start." Loki, are you sure you are ready for this? You have had a terrible time perh..." She found the ability to move then and raised one slightly shaky finger to silence his lips, they had waited long enough she knew, but could not trust her voice not to quaver if she tried to speak. He paused then she felt the lips change that touch to a small kiss. He trailed them down and his calloused fingers opened up her hand to kiss the soft palm before moving his lips to each finger tip more slowly, she looked up, trying to make him out in the shadows as he returned his mouth to her palm, the kisses paused and then she felt his tongue administer a tentative lick. A sigh escaped her as her body responded to that by arching into his. Thor growled quietly at the back of his throat when he felt her and rocked back on his heels before drawing of the tatters of his shirt over his head. She smelt him again then, musk mixed with the rain, and she reached up to feel the tensions run along the muscles of his lean stomach. He turned away and she heard the clink of his buckle ring out as clear as a tiny bell before he was slipping under a cloak beside her and holding it up for her like a dark wing. She looked at the darkness he offered for a moment before she moved into it. 

Thor's heat was like a furnace as her movement brought her up against him with her hip and side against his hard flank. He gasped at that but made no move other than to wrap their cover around behind her. She stayed still, unsure of what she should do next. Why was her husband hanging back so? Her old insecurities shivered through her.

No!! She was made of sterner stuff now, she was due something for them both surviving their ordeal, largely intact!! This was their night and she would take it! She lent up to where she could see the dim golden shine of his long hair and gently grasped a handful to bring his mouth back down to hers. He bent willingly to her then and his lips crushed into hers as his broad hand on her back pressed her to him. He started to kiss her cheeks and brow more urgently his hands moving over her newly acquired shirt as they embraced until he stopped and drew back and she knew he was trying to see her face in the darkness.

"Loki?" she barely recognized his voice it was so roughened, he cleared his throat before speaking again. " Will you," he hesitated," take of your shift?" She would have liked to see his face but heard the gentleness of this big warrior in his words and her heart twisted with love for him. She took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve before reaching down and pulling off her top in one sinuous move, pressing herself forward on to the heat him before she could think.

She felt him pull her beneath him and suddenly thought he might crush her in his enthusiasm, but he took his own weight on one elbow. His mouth was on her neck then her shoulder and then below while his hands seemed to be everywhere on her skin until her mind began to be unable to process all the sensations that were flooding through her. Beneath his experienced hands and mouth she strained to respond, she wanted to kiss and touch as much as he was but her body and brain seemed to be moving as slowly as through honey. Her breath was coming faster and more irregularly as she heard him growl and groan above her. His burning skin rested on her but suddenly he moved back away and his mouth and hands ceased their blissful ministrations. All was still although she only wanted to beg for more.

"Rise for me, Loki!" Thor voice rumbled through her in the silence and darkness and as if gravity ceased her body trained upwards arching with some unknown need like the sickle moon rising towards the gold of his sun until he stole her moans with his mouth over hers. He lowered himself again and moved on and within her causing a long, bone deep shiver to run through her like a lightning strike.

xxx 

It was a sudden gust of wind with the resulting patter of drops dislodged from the leaves above them that woke her from her deep sleep. She opened her eyes a slit to look about her and felt the ache still deep within her but only tensed when her reaching arm found no one by her. Thor, where was he? She thought as she sat bolt upright it was dark and cold around her and she could barely make out the sheet above her head and only hear what might lie beyond. There were rustlings outside and she thought she could make out the dim glow of what must be the remains of their fire as it burnt low.

Please, please, please Loki prayed to whichever god might be listening, please let him be safe. She made to rise but suddenly realizing with surprise she was without clothing as the chill night air bathed her when the bedding slipped down. She felt blindly around for the shirt her heart thudding in her chest and the bite of dread gnawing at her core so that when the great shadow suddenly loomed silently before her she did not know whether to flee or strike. 

"Loki? I am sorry I disturbed you, my love, I had to urgently tend to both nature and the fire!" She saw the paler tone of his hand reaching out towards her and she grasped it quickly, trying not to betray her panic.

"Oh, Thor!" was all she managed to say but he must have felt her shaking through her hand for he dropped quickly beside her enveloping her in his large arms against the night air. 

"My darling girl, did you wake with a fright? I thought you sleeping soundly or I should not have left you." His body around her was hot and strong and it affected her dazed mind like strong wine, heady and sweet and disorientating as she clung to him like a port in a storm for comfort. He kissed her head and ran his fingers soothingly through her hair and she slowly felt the thud of her heart beats calm to begin to match the slower, stronger ones of his as they leaned against each other in the dark. She felt the warmth of is hand as it slid down her back then move to pull up some of their bedding to cover her." You are getting cold, maid, let me just shed these boots and I will come in to warm you." She shrugged the material up over her shoulder as she made out his big form while he pulled his feet out of them at the front of their shelter.

"Did you catch the fire in time?" she asked him trying to see more of him despite the dark but all she could see was the pale sweep of his shoulders outlined against the dark of the shadows beyond.

"Yes," he said quickly wriggling back under the covers with her and drawing her back into his side with a large arm. She felt a shiver run through her as she rested her hand on the smooth skin of his shoulder her cheek resting beside it, breathing in his intoxicating scent. If she smelled half as good to him as he did to her maybe he had been telling some truth when he had said even in need of a wash he still liked hers.

"Hmmm, you are so warm even now." she snuggled closer and wondered how his skin could feel so soft despite the solidity of his muscles that shifted beneath it. She held one of their bed cloaks between them still but the ache in her body had eased and birthed a different one, one that caused her to run her fingers softly over the bones and muscles that lay beneath Thor's golden skin. 

"Are you all feeling better now?" he asked rubbing the back of his hand against her cheek." Things will be better with time, we will be turning for home tomorrow and in but a few days we will be safe in comfort and among friends." he gave her his favored kiss on her hair." Your Mara will be on our trail by now too she will not rest till you are safe, I am sure."

"Poor, Mara, she will be distraught." She said sadly, " Will they have found our trail do you think?"

"It will not be for the lack of trying if not!" Thor laughed then pressed her against his side and began to rub soothing circles on the skin of her shoulders." Get some rest, lass, we will have to get down that path again the morrow and we will need our strength." She began to relax again and trace her fingers along the line of his shoulder and into the soft hair on his chest in front of where she lay, his hand stilled as she moved and so she stopped too thinking it disturbed him. "Please, Loki, your fingers feel nice." He said almost in a whisper so she happily started her investigation again, fascinated by the changes of textures of his body compared to her own. He was open for her, his breathing deep and steady as her hand made its path across his chest and stopped to investigate his skin and hair curiously as it went. She could see nothing but she loved the fact he was happy for her to touch him more freely than any had ever allowed her. Her hand found the softer skin over his side and was fascinated to feel the bones move beneath the muscles as he breathed. Thor wriggled a bit as she ran her thumb along the line of one along his chest wall where it disappeared under his body and his big hand came up to envelope her own. "Ah, lass, believe me in this, you have had enough for tonight!" He held her hand across his chest again gently trapping it firmly away from its travels." We will have many other nights to know each other better." He said softly but she heard a now familiar gravel had returned to his voice." Settle now and let us get some sleep as I want to make good time tomorrow."

She stilled at his suggestion and consciously relaxed into the comfort of his presence although she still held one of the cloaks between them, foolishly shy yet of quite such exposure and soon she felt him let out a long slightly shaky breath beside her. Loki felt warm and drowsy tucked into the greater curve of Thor's frame and she had no desire to move, despite the fact that she could feel the hand trapped below her husbands heavy shoulders becoming numb. Soon his breath evened and deepened and she freed her hand without disturbing him, she listened to the lullaby of the rain and allowed herself to slip after him into sleep.


	18. Allegiance.

Loki pulled an arm in front of her eyes to shield them against the brightness of the morning sun while she began to sit up but realized she was pinned down and a pang of fear crossed her until the deep rumbling so close to her ear reminded her of where she was. Thor's sleeping face was inches from her own his skin golden in the sunlight and blond hair tangled in long strands hanging around and across his peaceful features. She smiled as his parted lips let through another light snore and she put a finger on them watching as his long eyelashes began to flutter at her touch. His eyes were the color of mead, dark and intense as he struggled to focus then he smiled as he saw her watching him.

"Maid." his voice was thick with sleep but his free hand moved up to her face. "Wife." he amended with a lop sided smile as he lent in for a light kiss.

"Husband." she said, tasting the word in her mouth and enjoying it as she smiled back at him. He looked at her seriously with his startling blue eyes as if he sought for something in her face and her smile faltered." Lord, is something amiss?"

"Are you well, Loki?" he asked raising a blunt finger and gently pushing back a thick strand of her hair away from her face and resting it on her skin.

Her brows dipped and she put a hand up to her face in consternation was something was amiss with it? She pulled up one of the cloaks further beneath her chin for modesty. "Is something wrong? I may need to wake a little more."

"The monster marked you." he said sadly as she felt his finger brush over her cheek and put her own hand to where one of her brothers blows had landed on her face.

"He is gone now, you put an end to his.. mischief, my husband, do not fret!" she snuggled against him saddened by his dismay at what he could not have prevented. " Our life starts as of now." She wanted to feel the skin of his chest again but the light of day was too revealing for her and so she held his hand in hers and wrapped his arm around her before slipping back into his embrace. He hugged her close in return stroking her long hair with his fingers and nuzzling into it to her pleasure as she played with the ends of his in return, pulling the fair strands through her finger tips until he shifted reluctantly onto his back and sighed.

" We must rise, lass, there is much to do and our family will be distraught." He said but he did not actually move still holding her close and soon their breathing softened and matched as they rested back against the bedding again before they followed each other into sleep.

xxx

Loki's head was jerked back and Thor's elbow knocked painfully against her shoulder as he rocketed up and past her. He scrabbled at the pile of clothing discarded at their feet before he drew out his short sword and then she was left looking at his broad bare back as he disappeared through the flaps of their tent! She lay stunned for a moment as the sunlight streamed through the gently billowing sheet over her head. What? Her brain tried to catch up with Thor's sudden departure and she drew the blanketing cloaks up around her where she sat among their bedding. What could have made her husband leave her so abruptly, she rubbed her bruised shoulder ruefully. Could he have started from a nightmare? She tried to listen to what he was doing outside but could hear nothing but the thumps and creaks of the shifting of the horses on their line. 

"Well Aesir, and what , oh what have you been up to so dressed?" said a familiar smooth, accented voice from just the other side of the tent walls. She froze. Surely it could not be! 

Aris!

" Your people are gone." Her heart stopped, then jumped into her throat when she heard Thor's voice sounded strained and she felt her muscles gather involuntarily to run out of their shelter to his side. No, Loki caution, she calmed herself, her mind racing. These are trained warriors and you are not their martial match. You cannot be as strong as they, like an axe but maybe you can be sharp, like a dagger!

"Gone? Where would they go without you?" That calm voice speculated.

" Bylister decided I was not worth a war with Asgard." Thor deep voice sounded strange as though he was talking between clenched teeth. She tried to listen for anything that might tell her what was going on but she could only hear their two voices. Could Aris still be alone? If that were so then he must have returned to his people to finish their journey together. 

" And where then is my fairest of cousin's? Neither he nor you would bear an hour without her at your sides." She heard the Jotun laugh briefly in disbelief as she realized they were talking about her. She tensed, the curved blade, where had they laid it? Probably Thor had stored his little armory together she thought so she carefully bent forward and felt in the place from where Thor had retrieved his sword until she felt the chill of steel beneath her finger tips then, as silently as she could, she drew it to her.

" She is with her brother. If you hurry you will catch them before they reach the lower woods." Her lord lied. Delaying Aris she realized, perhaps buying her time to escape. Loki looked around her quickly for a route then remembered her state of undress and snatched up the shirt Thor had found for her the evening before. She moved as quietly as she could to the back of the tent and then wriggled her lithe body like an otter swiftly through a small gap between the packs weighing down the sheet. 

"Hmm, no, I think not." there was a pause." A tent for a seasoned soldier like you? Is she asleep within still at this early hour?" Loki hurriedly pulled the big shirt over her head and decided on her path. "I would speak with you." another pause of that silky voice as she made her silent way through the bushes to circle around the voices to try to see without being seen." In truth, I would speak with both of you. About loyalties."

" Loyalties, Jotun?" Thor asked seeing Loki for the first time behind the other man and she saw his jaw lock returning his glare to Aris. Both men were standing close to the tents entrance but what made her blood run cold in her veins was the long blade of the lance that her cousin held so tightly into the flesh of her husbands throat that she saw beads of blood beneath its tip. As silently as snow her bare white feet carried her closer, her breath shallow to keep her hidden, she saw Thor glance at her despite himself.

" I see no reason for us to be coy, Aesir. Bylister is gone. Dead, I surmise?" Thor did not deny it, his body stiffening as he tried to keep from looking at the slight figure nearing his opponent. " I," and here Aris paused again and his shoulders dropped slightly. Loki tensed the curved blade rising to preempt the Jotun's thrust with the spear. " I find myself in need of a House to become allied to." She hesitated her hand rising and getting ready to spring the remaining distance. " I wish to join my lady cousin's retinue." he said dropping the spears point away from Thor's throat and standing back. Thor and Loki's stilled at the same moment.

"My Loki has no retinue, Jotun." Thor said slowly risking a glance at her as she lowered her blade uncertainly. Aris followed his gaze and stepped back shocked at seeing her armed and so close to his back and Thor moved swiftly and was standing between them in the blink of an eye, his sword ready in his hand. Her cousin dropped the lance and stood away from it arms raised in supplication before an amused twist came to rest on his thin lips.

"The lady has no retinue yet but I am sure you, as her caring husband, will be supplying her with one. Who would suit better than a devoted cousin, skilled in arms and court matters?" He gave a small bow for dramatic effect Loki felt." One who was preparing to aid your escape had it been necessary. " Thor looked at him skeptically not dropping his sword. 

"And the spear at my throat?" Thor queried. "besides your family have had some strange ideas of kinship thus far!"

"Would you have listened to me otherwise? " The dark eyebrows rose. " I am cautious by nature and when a giant naked man runs at me with a sword I am justified in defending myself! As for the other, do not judge me against my late master, not all jotun's are ...wrongly made!

"Hmm, what if your Lord returns to claim your Loyalty?" Thor paused to consider her cousin coolly but then Loki saw his body loosen and shed some of its tension.

"But he will not, will he?" Said Aris looking thoughtfully at the Aesir. "Somehow you and m'lady here," he glanced at Loki then." have shed the entire company leaving nothing but packs and horses! Quite a feat in less than a day."

"You are correct, Bylister will not return but what reasons do I have to let you live, let alone accept your petition of service?" Thor was watching him carefully and Loki was not sure what her husband was thinking as Aris stood straighter but she could see he was equally keenly assessing the other man.

"I treated you as best I might when you were prisoners, did I not? Food, drink, succour in your hour of need?" he reasoned. " I tended to our lady's needs as I could from within those scum?" He looked to Loki at that. " I could do no more and despite my protests I was sent away for my kindnesses." 

Thor's brow was furrowed as he deliberated and Loki remembered the Jotun's help with food and the tunic that had shielded her from much of her brothers unwelcome embrace as she rode with him. She looked at her dark haired cousin and recognized that he had been as helpful to them as circumstance allowed so when Thor too straightened and dropped his sword arm to his side she felt relieved. " I will be watching you carefully, Jotun, and am not yet inclined to accept your request of service but I will consider it." 

" I am content with that, lord, I will prove myself in time I assure you." Aris smiled relief evident on his tanned face." In the mean time I am sure we are all hungry, " his eyes wandered down Thor's person." perhaps you would like to dress while I raise the fire to break our fast?" 


	19. The road home.

True to his word Aris was stirring some of their remaining porridge while Thor was pulling on a newly liberated set of clothes beside the packs. Loki was looking away politely when she caught the Jotun's dark eye and when she saw an amused smile on his lips she blushed so that he looked a little abashed himself.

"I have some more things in my bag that may fit you a little better, Lady." he said and she thought his gaze kinder now. " I am considered a lightweight by my fellow warriors as you probably know."

"I fear I do not remember you." she answered her eyebrows knitting. " I could never look at anyone when I was at the palace as it would be a punishable immodesty. I saw peoples feet sometimes nothing more."

" You looked so calm when you walked among us. Peaceful and pale like a statue had come to life." His voice sounded thoughtful but Thor stamping his boots on over beside their packs broke the moment. " Food is ready." Aris called out and the other came back over to them and slipped a hand round her middle affectionately.

Loki took her bowl when he offered it to her but she did not feel hungry and only stood picking at it while Thor squatted beside Aris attacking the meal with his usual vigor. 

"Eat, lass, it may be a long day come and sit beside me." He patted the ground beside him as he looked up at her a smile on his lips stilling as he saw her and realized that she did not meet his eye and her cheeks were ablaze. He stood up beside her then and freed his hand to place it on her forehead. "Are you unwell, maid?"

" It is nothing, lord, please finish your meal." She looked only at her bowl and ate a small mouthful to distract him shifting a little uncomfortably away from him and aware of Aris's eyes on them both. Thor's hand slipped beneath her chin but she only dropped her eyes further.

"Loki?" he encouraged. 

" I merely fell too heavily when I was running and am a little bruised." she said quietly looking at Aris and then him meaningfully and his brow furrowed for a moment before his face blanched and then blazed in his own fierce flush!

"Oh, Loki!! Oh, maid, was there ever such a fool!" He stammered dropping his big hand from her face to rub his own in frustration. He turned his distressed blue eyes on her own cool green ones. "What may I do to ease you?"

"It is nothing, husband, do not fret." He looked for all the world like a beaten pup and she felt sorry that she seemed to have unintentionally distressed him so." it will be well in a day or two at most, it is a trifling, considering all that has gone before." she tried to comfort him but the reminder of their trials seemed to make him worse.

"I swear that you will know neither hunger or discomfort while I draw breath Loki, from henceforth in!" He swore solemnly drawing up her slim hand in his broad one to his mouth to kiss it. "We have had a dismal start to married life but things will soon be fine , I promise." Loki looked at him, as always, looking for insincerity in his face and, as always, finding none.

"Husband you are too kindly as ever, you need take little of the blame for our capture but much of the credit for our escape." she said running her fingers through his tangled hair." Finish your gruel and we will be on the path to your home within an hour or two. I would see my dear Mara to allay her fears." She pushed him gently back towards Aris and the food and although he nodded instead of squatting again he stood tall beside her to eat and after a minute she leaned against his solid bulk in appreciation and ate a bit more of her own.

"They will be too big of course but they are cleanish and warm." Aris held up the soft white shirt and black tunic that he had worn at their wedding. 

"They are very handsome, lord, are you sure you would lend them to me? " Loki asked running the expensive cloth through her fingers. 

"Yours and welcome lady." he shrugged." Maybe my next house will demand a livery?" he looked meaningfully at Thor," Maybe scarlet?" 

Loki saw the look but held the clothes to her. "Maybe so." was all she said and went to the tent to change. The clothes were softer and better fitting than the shirt Thor had given her from the packs and she stroked the dark velvet when she had dressed. The tunic hung well below her knee and although not 'Modest' was actually comfortable and practical in their present circumstance and she rejoined the men feeling in a lighter mood than she had for days. Thor looked up from the pile of tack that he was sorting through when she came back to them and his eyes softened and he came striding over to her immediately clasping her and dropping a passionate kiss onto her lips. At the point when small lights were beginning to float across her vision he pulled back with a gasp. She felt weak and steadied herself against his chest with her hand.

"We have really got to practice that breathing and kissing as much as possible when we get home," Thor smiled breathlessly still holding her." You look amazing Loki. Beautiful." 

" They certainly looks better on you than ever they did on me, cousin." Thor stiffened against her and gave Aris a grim look.

"Not that you notice that on my Lady, of course, Jotun." Aris looked cautiously at the big warrior and kept his eyes focused again on sorting the pack in front of him. "We must be going shortly, maid. We have decided to leave most of the baggage, and concentrate on getting us home with all speed, taking only the horses." Then he drew Loki to one side and dropped his voice. " Will you be able to ride a horse, my wife?" He asked and her heart warmed at the kind concern in his eye. 

" We will be walking down this hill for a while and I will do my best at the bottom. That broad quiet one and I have an arrangement." she said pointing to where 'Blackie' stood dozing. " He asks little of me and I ask little of him! I will collect their nose bags and pack them as they will need them later." He squeezed her around her waist and turned to strike camp.

The men were seasoned travelers and she was surprised how quickly the scattered possessions and tack were gathered and stowed in thick bushes behind the campsite. She took down their makeshift tent and found a brush grooming the horses especially those that were going to be ridden. Aris's horse was still saddled when he collected it from it's tether beyond the camp and was talking to Thor in a quiet voice that she could not catch but when they went to he cliff edge it was obvious what they were discussing and she tried not to watch them. She concentrated on Blackie pulling his bridle onto his unresisting head and brushed him vigorously enjoying the way his skin wriggled as she groomed him until his dark hide began to shine until the men returned.

They said nothing of the bodies in the gorge when they returned to her and she did not ask as the horses were arranged in strings, reins to tail's and the embers of their fire were scattered and hidden. The site was remarkably clear and the rain of the night before had flattened almost all their tracks except where the horse line had darkened the soft earth though she did not stray near the track until they were ready to leave.

"He is very plain, Loki, I will get you a fine palfrey when we get home but he will save your bare feet when we get to the valley floor again.." Thor was smiling at her choice of what looked like a pack horse for a mount but she kissed the soft slab of cheek and pulled the coarse hair of his mane straighter."

" He is a peaceful fellow and will do as I bid, he will suit me well." she said in his defense looking at where Thor had kept Bylister's fiery black as his choice.

"Good choice, lady, I have never seen that fellow stumble or balk." Aris agreed and turning to Thor added. "He may not be a war horse but he will keep her safe." 

"Good enough then!" Thor gave the horse a hearty clap on his thick neck and all he did was twitch an ear at the man." You will walk with me, Loki, and you and I, Jotun, will split the horses between us." 

"I could manage Blackie I am sure." She suggested almost reluctant to hand over the reins to him. 

"No, lass, I was racked with fear for you on this narrow trail as we climbed and would not see you more than a pace away from my hand again. Give me the horse and we will start." he insisted and she did not push it further.

Loki led the way then careful of sharp turns and even more careful of sharp stones on her bare feet and where the path broadened even for a few paces, Thor held her to him in a pleasant embrace before they exchanged a kiss when the path narrowed again. She tried to forget Jor but although she scanned around her for signs of his demise to her surprise and relief she only found prints from the horses shoes. The gorge's undergrowth kept her secret and she was glad because she was not yet ready to talk to her husband about it. As ever, whether it was because of the brighter weather or their freedom, the time it took to retrace their steps seemed much shorter and within a few hours the path broadened and the light became filtered by the leaves of thick trees. Thor held her for a moment and rubbed her tired aching feet until the horses began to push past each other keen to keep on the move on the level ground and the two men retied the animals and some of the packs.

"I hope this may make your journey more comfortable, wife." he said laying Bylister's black wolfskin on her saddle and when she went to put her foot up into the stirrup with a tired sigh she felt his big hands grip her waist and lift her easily into her seat. His earnest blue eyes looked at her as she steadied herself on his shoulder and he whispered unhappily." Will you be all right, Loki? We should have waited."

" No it was time, it is only an ache." She put her pale hand on his brown one where it rested on her knee." I am only glad we will be home the sooner for the horses." Her horse was honest and carried her without fault on his broad back but when they had ridden many a long mile her aches had become pains and when he came to lift her her down she could barely stand she were so stiff and sore. Thor held her tight, his distress evident on his fair face and even Aris paused looking over at them in concern. 

" Why did you not say, Loki, you know I am an idiot!" he groaned balancing her against him and rubbing the feeling back into her legs.

"Fine, I am fine, just give me a minute, I am just not used to such a long ride. Did we make good time?" she asked trying catch her breath and then she patted him comfortingly on the big forearm she could reach. " There, I can feel my feet already."

He was shaking his head forlornly and refused to let her help with the chores insisting instead she sit on packs covered with one of Aris's cloaks despite her protestations. The men were as efficient in making up the camp as they had been when breaking the mornings one which seemed an age ago. She was sad she was not able to feed the horses as they settled them for the night but was glad when her husband returned to her with sticks and kindled a fire. 

"I could gather more wood, Thor, or take a watch, I am stronger now." Thor came over and kissed her forehead looking at her fondly.

"I said I would take care of you, remember? " His tone was firm and she felt sad that she was not strong enough to be considered worthy even for one watch while he continued." Just sit a while and we can have a little supper before we settle for an early night, Aris is on the first watch so we can sleep."

Supper was salted porridge again but the men ate it with gusto and she was so hungry it even tasted fine to Loki as she sat leaning into her husband's side while they ate. The fire was bright, the wood being plentiful under the trees and she could feel its heat on her face and hands from where they sat. The food finished Thor hugged her to him running his fingers through her hair as she felt her body slowly relaxing and her eyes getting heavier and heavier. He watched her slip steadily into sleep and moved the packs to give shelter to their backs before letting her loosened limbs curl into his and her soft breathing lull him too to rest.


	20. Nearly home?

Wrapped in cloaks and warmed by the hearty fire Loki was still fast asleep when he returned from his turn as sentry. Thor slipped himself in beside her as carefully as his big body would allow moving her relaxed limbs towards him as he drew her gently into his embrace. Her head tucked down onto his chest and the rise and fall of the soft skin of her shoulder so close to his face mesmerized him. She was so beautiful despite her tangled hair and the dirt and blemishes she had incurred these last days, he brushed against her smooth cheek as lightly as his rough fingers could manage and marveled at the soft intake of breath she took at his touch. He felt a wrenching pull deep in his gut as her long fingers holding his shirt flexed as she trustingly nuzzled further into his chest and he felt his blood pound through his veins.

"Shh, shh." he whispered rubbing small he hoped soothing circles onto her skin and wishing that she would stay asleep thus forever while hoping equally she would wake up and kiss him! His body yearned for her but he was a grown man and no novice in these things so he calmed himself with deep even breaths until his heart stopped trying to burst from his chest. She did not wake and he craned his neck to see Aris propped against a tree on look out before he settled to a more comfortable position beside his wife at last in the relative safety of his arms. He kissed her hair letting his head relax back onto a pack while he wondered if his people had found any sign of their location and might even now be on their trail.

xxx

"Lord Thor?" Aris had tapped him on the shoulder and it was suddenly dawn breaking round them as he bolted upright perfectly awake in an instant glowering at the dark Jotun a disheveled and confused Loki clutched too tightly to his chest. "Breakfast?" there might have been a hint of amusement in his voice as Loki pushed against her husbands suffocating grip.

"Sorry, maid," He said loosening his tight hold on her. "I should have been more vigilant!"

" It is as well that I proved trustworthy, Prince." Aris said in a serious tone before rising to return to the fire while Thor watched him with a thoughtful expression on his face. He turned back to Loki who was watching her cousin too.

"Do you trust him, husband?" she asked him quietly and he paused thoughtfully before answering her.

"More than I did, he could have killed us as we slept because of my foolishness." Thor acknowledged. "Time will tell."

"I may take a break from gruel when we get home." Thor admitted as they huddled in the brightening dawn and looked out at a damp mist hovering down to their right above what was probably the river. It was chilly despite the flames and Loki tucked her feet beneath the cloak she had wrapped around her shoulders. Thor noticing and wriggled himself round behind her making a warm cocoon for her between his knees and enveloped them both in his own cloak too. She looked up over her shoulder a little nonplussed at his close proximity but then cautiously lent her back to his chest. He smiled to himself at her reticence before drawing her back further until he felt her warm and still in the basket of his strong limbs, she tensed for a moment, shy at their intimacy but forcing herself to relax back into his warmth.

"Same today as yesterday, Prince?" Aris said pensively not looking at them directly as they lingered by the fires heat." Straight course for your city?"

"I hope we will make good time and be home soon, perhaps even by tomorrow." Thor agreed then kissed the back of Loki's head. " You will not be so hard pressed as on the path and we will take several breaks too." He said softly for her ears.

" Then I must take my leave." Aris said poking the last embers to life and the others looked at him in surprise. "Your people will hang me, for sure, for my part in this affair."

"You may be right, they may not be merciful." Thor glanced at the tall man and knew he probably told the truth for if he were hunting Loki he would enjoy killing her kidnappers. He looked across at the other who rose with a sigh and he felt Loki shift uncomfortably in his arms and when he looked down he saw she was running her fingers across the velvet of her borrowed tunic.

"Perhaps, my husband, I may need a small retinue as our wooing and marriage have been so... eventful. If you were called away I would rather not be left unguarded," and here he recognized the amusement in her voice and saw a twist of a smile flicker across her pale face. " especially if Fandral were about."

"I am not sure, Loki we know nothing of him," Thor's brow furrowed and he and Aris studied each other. " What would you do if we had still been held fast by Bylister and the others, I wonder?"

"Borg was dead and you say that scum Jor was missing," here Loki looked at him intently and he looked strangely back at her until she felt her cheeks redden. " With Bylister I could have had surprise because you would have been freed first." he nodded then shrugged. "Yes, I had my plans but they were not needed." He bent to gather up the bowls.

"Would you swear your oath to me, Jotun?" Thor rumbled. "I would not trust you with my wife until your mettle has been well tested but a handy knight is always useful." Aris looked at him in surprise and then he smiled.

"Done!" he said quickly as if Thor might change his mind and immediately dropped to his knees in the dew hanging his head and offering his short sword hilt first. " Your honor is mine, Thor, Prince Royal of Asgard."

My honor is yours, my lord Aris, till I should release you." Thor rose and Loki stood at his back as he handed the weapon back its hilt firmly grasped in the Jotuns hand.

" You will not regret this." The dark man said earnestly, rising back to his feet and dropping a small stiff bow to first Thor and then Loki.

"Make sure I never do." Thor said grimly taking Loki's hand in his and started to walk over to the horses. In a short while the camp was packed and Aris was mounted and waiting for them.

"Ready?" he asked looking into her eyes for permission to lift her into the saddle again," You will tell me if you tire before we stop will you not? The path through the woods should be much easier on both us and the horses. "

" I will be fine, I am better today, this wolfskin is a boon and I am made of sterner stuff now we are rested." She smiled for him and he gave her a crooked smile back and kissed her knee as she settled into the saddle. " This fellow will take care of me too. " She scratched the thick neck while the horse twitched a noncommittal ear at her. Thor grappled his high blooded beast into motion dragging his share of the other horses behind him.

Mid morning brought them to a thin stream where they watered the animals while they stretched their own legs. Loki knelt upstream from the melee of keen beasts and flustered men and splashed the chill water over her face while Blackie slacked his thirst before turning to the scarce grass growing on the banks. She saw a rounded boulder near where the burn trickled out of the woods and wondered if she could wash her feet before Thor called them to mount again. As she seated herself wriggling her toes in the sparkling flow thankfully her horse pulled to reach the leaves above him and she settled back to scrub with the hem of her borrowed shirt, glad several of her aches from the previous days had eased. She heard Thor swear colorfully and saw Bylisters fiery steed shy when the prince snatched at his reins and skittered sideways before bolting back the way they had come. Loki thought that her normally phlegmatic husband might actually ignite with fury when shoving the reins of the others in his string over to an already busy Aris and with an apologetic glance at her he quickly followed the creature. She was leaning on the ever patient Blackie's shoulder to pull herself up to help the Jotun when she caught a flash of movement beyond where he was struggling with the other horses.

"Aris, beware!" she cried as her own horse nearly pulled her arm off as it jumped back in fright at a big figure pouncing at them from the trees with a fist that seemed to obscure the sky! She ducked and threw herself away but felt her brains rattle when the glancing blow skimmed her head above her ear. No, this could not be happening she thought as she scrambled on hands and knees away from the cursing warrior striding after her with long strong legs!

"Thor" she tried to scream but the man lobbed a kick at her knee and she sucked her breath in at the shooting pain instead.

"Come here, you slippery little bastard!" said the warrior drawing his knife and stamping down hard on her ankle and she gave an involuntary groan and saw stars as she heard a crack. She felt the mans broad hand encircle her upper arm and drag her towards him and felt a blade slide across the curve of her throat. " I have the boy! " Her captor shouted from above her. Boy? Then she could see their horses running everywhere and at least two more heavily armed warriors one of whom had Aris on his knees with a broad headed axe pressed against the back of his bowed neck. The axe wielder was shouting in Aris's bleeding ear as he yanked back his head by his dark hair.

" Traitorous scum, where is our prince?"


	21. Mistakes.

The big hand dragged her, limping heavily on her agonizing ankle as she tried to gather her pain scattered thoughts, down to where his fellows were. Aris was being held by rough hands and the Jotun was being hard pressed by his interrogators as blows rained on his bowed shoulders and body.

"Where is he? What have you done with them Traitor?" Aris was silent and the man holding her in front of the others kicked out with the toe of his iron clad boot into the dark mans body. "Have a care! Do not kill him, he must know where they have taken them." Loki caught Aris looking at her through a bruised half closed eye and tried to say something through his bloodied lips.

"What did he say?" One asked her captor. Aris cleared his raw throat and croaked.

"Free the boy! He knows nothing." Boy? Who was this boy they kept talking about her pain befuddled brain asked? Her captor laughed shortly.

"Your brother is he? Maybe a beloved first son?" and she felt him shake her like a terrier would a rat. "Will his mother weep for him then? Will you?" 

Aris's head dropped to his chest in dismay and she realized that they were talking about her and their liege man was trying to help her. She dared not move with the blade so snug to her throat but she tried to think more clearly. Where was Thor? He had only been gone minutes chasing after that stupid fancy horse and she realized he might return at any moment all unknowing into an ambush! She must warn him!

"What if we take a finger for every time you do not answer us clearly?" There was unpleasant amusement in her captor's voice and she felt his knife leave her throat as she realized with horror he intended to act immediately on his threat. How could she help the dark haired lord?

"Where is our prince?" Aris peered up at him but did not speak and the third man grabbed and then held out their captives hand. She saw Aris's jaw clenched in anticipation of pain but he stayed silent.

"We have no time for this!" Aris's captor cursed and her own pulled her closer awkwardly hooking his leg round hers to hold her still and then it was her fingers below the wickedly sharp looking blade of his knife! "No archer for him if you remain silent, Jotun! Then we will take a thumb to match! He has fingers like little white twigs but they will fall like leaves unless you speak!"

Aris looked at her then the man desperately, still held fast by his two tormentors. "I do not know, I was not with their party." he said at last in a very quiet flat voice. The man behind her lent forward to hear what he said and she felt her chance as he shifted his big body and dropped the knife a little from her hand. Ignoring the damage it did to her injured ankle she swung round in a move her Mara had showed her again and again! Down he went with a pained groan as her bony knee connected with his groin in a merciless blow and she wrested the blade from his weakened hand with all her strength!

"Thor, beware!" she cried with all her might as she tried to throw herself away from he grasping hands of the other warriors, slashing blows down at whatever flesh she could reach. The men seemed taken by surprise, her first victim still down and whining while the axe man tried to get through her clumsy but determined defense but it could not last lacking as she was in any real experience in combat. She was jolted forward by a shove from behind and another grabbed her thin wrist in a vice of hard flesh and yanked her to her feet when the pain from her leg made her vision blur and her stomach churn .

"Kill him." gasped out the felled man his voice as rough as sand and she saw murder in his pain reddened eyes. She felt a big hand tug her plait back to expose her throat for the killing blow.

The man holding Aris behind her was bowled forward into the knife wielder and she was thrown to the earth beneath them all as she saw a black shadow flash above them and a bellowing roar filled the air and her with fear. She fought for breath beneath the men's bodies as they struggled to rise above her and her courage deserted her so that she curled herself into a ball and shielding her head with her arm's waiting for the end. She heard a thud close by before those above seemed to fly up and away from her and the terrible rumbling noise seemed to be coming closer, her confused mind wondered if the demons of those childhood tales were here to finish them off altogether! .

" Loki? Loki? Please the gods you live !" said a blessedly familiar voice as she felt strong arms sweep her up from the earth and she opened her eye to see those bright blue ones blown wide with fear above her. He let out a deep breath that was almost a sob of relief as she bent her head beneath his bristly chin for comfort before jolting alert. Surely not even her wonderful golden husband could have seen off three obviously experienced warriors so quickly? "Shh, shh, all is well." he whispered close to her ear. Then louder not directed at her "Are you mad, Canis?" he growled, danger clear in every syllable. 

"My Lord, they are Jotuns! They have many horses and why else would they be here in the western woods if not involved in your captivity?" It was Aris's axe man speaking, Aris himself was conscious but slumped on the ground dabbing blood from a deep cut on his arm she could see but she could not find it in herself to risk the comfort of Thor's embrace to go to him. "The boy felled Drift and they would not answer our questions!" The big man's face was full of confusion.

Thor growled like a wolf, deep in his throat so that she could feel the vibrations in her chest where it rested against his. She could feel his fury, like lightening crackling about him as he answered. 

"Boy? You mistake my wife for a boy? Are you blind or do you merely ask for an early death?" She saw the soldier's face blanch as he looked over to her and he heard the injured Drift gasp in horror at the words.

"My Lord, we did not know, we could not know." he said falling to his knees in front of his prince. "They were dressed as Jotuns with Jotun beasts and accents, but I beg forgiveness as we have been hard pressed these several days in our search for you!" Her mind was struggling to keep up until those words but as the man stuttered his apology she realized that it was Thor not Bylister that they were seeking. These were Asgard's man who was trying to explain his situation to to his murderously angry Prince. " We came across them by chance and sought answers urgently."

She felt some pity for the frightened men before her husbands wrath and she was worried about Aris as he was almost as pale as their captors so she raised a long fingered hand and lay it silently on Thor's cheek to calm him and get his attention. He bent to her immediately dropping a kiss on her forehead and holding her tightly against his hard body.

" My lass, did they harm you?" He made to stand her back on her feet but she could not support her weight and he helped her to sit instead feeling her leg for the source of her pain. He realized that the men were watching and barked." Gather those horses up and you, Canis, see to his needs." He growled indicating Aris here with a curt nod. The men were slow to move in their shock and dismay so Thor put his broad body between them and her before returning to his examination." There were loose horses and then I heard you calling my name, lass, I saw them at Aris but could not see you." He ran his fingers along her leg drawing in a sharp gasp at the boot shaped bruise blossoming on the back of her thigh above her knee and then she watched with drawn breath as he checked her rapidly swelling ankle. She heard his teeth grind together before he became a blur of movement and was across to grab Canis's unsuspecting shoulders and land a hideous blow on the warriors chin.

"It is broken, you worthless idiots, all our trials and she is thus wounded by my own people!! Which of you did this to her leg? I will have his guts spilt on this very grass" He spat his face flushed with rage and planting another heavy blow on the man. Loki watched in horror as her usually benign husband dragged him up again by his collar and his arm drew back to strike again at the unresisting warrior. 

"Mercy!" She begged for him, dragging herself painfully up to push between the two men and balancing against Thor's arm with her slim hands covering his upraised fist." Their mistake was an honest one, my lord!" She scarcely recognized his face so twisted with fury was it, but on seeing the tears shining in her green, green eyes he dropped the other man like a bag of potatoes wrapping them around her lithe body instead and lifting her once again into his arms. She tried to ignore the pain the jolt caused her and concentrated on fixing his eyes to hers, holding his florid cheeks between cool fingers until she felt his knotted muscles begin to relax around her. " A misunderstanding, nothing more!" she soothed.

" But Loki your leg?" Thor grieved ducking his big shaggy head into her touch.

"I will mend, you will just have to carry me every where again." She pushed his face away her dark brows arching dramatically. " They are your men you say? You did not arrange this, did you?" She said with a wry smile on her pale lip's which he suddenly could not resist kissing. So engaged, he carried her away back to the stream and reluctantly relinquished her lips before carefully settling her on the moss. They both looked at the badly swollen joint in gloomy silence. " It really does ache but what bonny colors it is going to turn!" she mused quietly. 

" I fear it truly may be broken, lass." Thor said his temper and shoulders sagging in dismay as he crouched before her to study it. He touched it hesitantly and she hissed despite her good intentions not to let him see her distress. " I will have to look at it you know, Loki." he said moving his big hand to hold her leg below the knee and looked at her, she nodded biting her lip. She could not hold back a whimper as her other foot arched her back up as it tried to push her away from the nauseating vibration caused by Thor rotating her foot only a little. Thor paled and just held it still again. " We will need to splint it to hold it all straight." She looked at him eyes blown black and breath catching with the pain." The healers will know what to do when we get home. Shall I try and find you some wine to blunt the .. discomfort?" he ran the calloused pad of his thumb along the sharp angle of her cheekbone sorrowfully but she shook her head although tears forced themselves down her pale dusty cheeks.

"Can we go somewhere away from them." She waved her hand vaguely towards the others and hung her head. "I am ashamed of my weakness." at which he knelt before her then gathered her into his arms shielding her from even seeing the men and picking up his short sword strode towards where the path wound into the woods.

"I saw a little gap in the trees close by." His long legs carrying her from the others and then he stopped for a moment his eyes thoughtful. " I have an idea, maid, do you trust me?" She nodded silently looking at him and trying to read his thoughts as he sank down pulling her with him till she rested comfortably in his lap wrapped in his strong arms. She looked up at him curiously and he tried to radiate confidence for her. " Try to relax and now breath out as much as you can," He saw her eyebrows furrow then relax and she let out her breath with a long sigh. He in reverse dragged in a deep lungful of air and bent in for a kiss, after a minute she shivered and after two he felt her tense but she did not fight him then her lips on his slackened and her body fell loose in his embrace. He held her a few more seconds before lying her now limp form quickly down and gathered up the splint making materials to set to work.


	22. Soonest mended.

Loki felt her ankle as both hot and squashed as she squinted at the diffuse light coming through the leaves above where they lay but it was not unbearable. She knew it was Thor she rested on by the firm bare flesh of her pillow and she turned her hazy head to look up at him and found his bright blue eyes were fixed on hers. He smiled at her, running his fingers slowly through her hair.

"It is done, maid." he said softly.

"You are a clever fellow, my husband, there would be worse ways to travel to the after life than with a loving kiss." She smiled lazily and lay back again resting her hand on the golden wires of the hair on his chest and looking back up to the leafy canopy.

" Thank you for trusting me and thank you for drawing me off Canis." He dropped his head down to breath the scent of her from her hair." I wished to avenge your pain and he was in my sights but it did me no honor. "

" We have all been hard pressed to long and too hard." she said stroking her fingertips across his skin in comfort." It does feel a bit better." She said pushing herself up on her elbows to look at her ankle which was now swathed in strips of Thor's shirt with the ends of his scabbard poking out. "Have you done this often?" she asked lowering herself back onto the warmth of her husband and snuggling into his side.

"A few times but never on such fine bones, no wonder it broke." he felt her shift a little against him." Is it bothering you still lass?"

"Not too much to bear," she replied with a little smile then remembering their man suddenly."is Aris badly injured?

"Like you, not too much to bear! He must have a hard head luckily for him although I think it may be some time before he speaks to Canis civilly. He followed us and helped bind your leg. " She enjoyed the feel of him speaking as a rumble through his ribs before she felt him give a long sigh. "We should return to them and get back on the road home if you are strong enough, maid." And he shifted onto one hip to look at her.

"If we must." and started to push herself to stand, grimacing as gravity pulled the blood back into her foot and Thor was there beside her immediately. 

"Loki! Do not even think of taking a step! Remember I am allowed to carry you now." He hefted her up with a smile and she settled obediently into that familiar hold. " I am not leaving you alone for a minute considering how much trouble you are a magnet for!"

" My lady will be riding with me, " The others stood as they returned to the stream, even a stiff looking Aris and Loki saw Bylister's handsome thoroughbred chewing at the bit restlessly in Drift's hand and was less than happy about the thought of them riding it even with Thor's firm hand would be on its reins. " The horses are ready? Ride swiftly then, Drift, and remember to send a messenger on to the palace with word that we are safe before you start back to meet us." To her surprise the man nodded and mounted Bylister's horse immediately pushing it into a fast pace and disappearing into the woods. Aris came forward with a steed in each hand, his own fine animal and her heart lifted at the other, her own reliable black, then she looked up at Thor above her.

"I am sorry, husband, I do not think that my foot will fit a stirrup but I am unused to riding without." she said anxiously.

"Silly girl, of course not so hold tight." he warned and, careful not to jar her more than necessary, he boosted her up to sit facing him on the beasts broad withers before putting his foot in the stirrup and mounting behind her lifting the reins round her. "Aris, the skin?" he asked the other who passed him the black wolf pelt which he laid close to his body in front of him. "This is all yours." his left arm slipped snugly round her waist, drawing her closer onto the pelt ." I am sure your big friend here will behave ." 

If her leg would not hurt so much then Loki could could have really quite enjoyed the journey for with the three other men to take the extra horses Thor was only responsible for their own placid mount and themselves. They were setting the pace and it was more attuned to Loki and Blackie than a warrior band with the others wandering along behind them.

After an hour or two he looked around them perhaps for features and she did too but all she could see were trees."Do you know where we are, Thor?" she said relaxed and well balanced when the ache of her injury had become an annoying backdrop to her rather than overwhelming. 

"These are the woods that stretch west to the mountains from the river we walked to that first time you ventured out with us to the Blue bridge. We may be home tomorrow night at best." he explained shifting the hand at her back so that she could sit straighter and bent over to try look at her leg. "How does it feel?"

" Achy, nothing worse, you are a good nurse." She said trying not to think on her foot instead putting up her hand to push back some tangles of his unruly blond hair behind his ear. "Thank you, husband." she turned her head to his supporting arm and dropped a kiss on it and when he looked down into those deep green eyes she smiled at him." I can sit the other way if it helps as your poor arm must be getting tired."

" I enjoy watching you and would have let you sleep now had we not been stopping soon Canis has scouted out a site to make a fire and eat." he looked around at the leafy glade and held his hand up to the others. 

Loki shifted to look round at their camp site, there was running water close by, she could hear in the peace as their animals came to a halt and the men slid to the ground around them, Aris stiffly she noted with sympathy. Blackie stood like a table as Thor dismounted from behind her and put his arms up to catch her, as she manoeuvred herself to the edge and let herself tentatively slip into his waiting arms. 

"We shall be setting the fire about here, I shall get packs fetched for you to sit on. Aris make a seat for our lady." Aris pulled the pack from his mount and put it down behind her still looking pale from the bruises he must be sporting she supposed. "You do not look well, man, wait with Loki and I will water the beasts." he indicated the well used saddle pelt and the other added it to her perch." Here, maid, be seated." 

"May I stand a little to stretch my bones?" She requested as he began to stoop to put her down.

"But your ankle must not take use, I will hold you here beside me a while." She saw Aris grimace as he bent to take the reins of the horses once again as Thor's focus shifted back to her.

" Just let me lean against that birch while you water the horses, It is Aris who will need to sit first before he falls I fear!" she saw the beads of sweat on the Jotuns brow and then Thor saw them too.

"Gods, Aris, you look terrible, sit. Are you Jotun's always so easy to break?" he laughed as the other slumped down gratefully until he looked and saw Loki was not joining in. "Sorry, maid not you of course, I will be only a few minutes at the stream, are you sure the tree will suffice?" 

"We will be fine, lord, I will sit if I feel the need, never worry." she detached herself from him carefully balancing against the smooth bark with a little smile.

Thor pulled his string after the other two men, the horses jostling each other in their eagerness to taste the water they could now smell while Aris sat silently taking deep breaths to settle himself. Loki watched him until the pallor of his face lessened.

"Asgard provides its warriors with fine boots!" she sympathized.

"And they are not shy to use them." He agreed wryly looking up at her. " I am sorry I could not protect you this morning, cousin, I was taken by surprise."

"You did well, my damage was done in the first minute, you were wise to try to hold your tongue as it allowed time for my husbands return." she paused then looked up into the calm of the leaves above to stem the prickle of tears she felt at the memory. "I nearly managed to get my throat cut though!" 

"But you have all your fingers still," he said then seeing her distress. " You did very well, maid, through all this I have watched you, you have done very well indeed." 

" We are alive that is enough in these things and that I have my husband safe. " Then she had eyes only for Thor who was dripping his way back to tether his horses to one of the low hanging branches before rejoining them.

"That is much better, I have needed washed these many days, as I am sure you would agree, lass!" He smiled at her blush and Aris nodded. "We could help you bathe if you would, Loki, when the horses are finished." Then with dismay as he realized how that sounded and he picked her back up from her useful tree in embarrassment ." Or before if you would prefer of course!"

She smiled up at him, amused by his discomfort." If you would help then I would love to be a little cleaner. Will you be well enough here, Lord Aris, your color is improved?" she asked as the last of the men brought his horses up and began to string a line for them. Aris nodded and gave her a hard bar of soap from his pack before settling back to close his eyes.

The water was clear and as cold as melted snow on her foot as Thor chose a flat rock sticking from the bank into the flow to seat her, he lathered up the soak on a rag and began to gently rub her good foot and leg with the strong smelling soap. "I think it is perhaps horse soap he has lent us!" Thor commented quietly as he worked. "Maybe tomorrow you will have that cinnamon one you favor and that cream mother uses in a bath so big and warm we can both fit in!"

"Thor!" She hissed looking round as if someone might be listening and he laughed at her scandalized expression. He lent down to whisper in her ear. 

"We are a married couple and can bathe together if we choose, no one can stop us you know!!" he said conspiratorially then laughed and avoided her as she swatted at him with the soaking cloth. 

"Can you help me off with this?" she said pulling on the collar of her borrowed tunic. He pulled it carefully over her head leaving her in the loose shirt alone his blood flared hotter seeing more than usual of her long white limbs. She all unknowing commanded " Turn your back, you fool, and guard your wife's virtue from prying eyes while I wash!"

Thor's blood shifted down his body as if by a magnet as he listened to her humming a country tune with pleasure as the grime of their ordeal was cleansed. "May I help?" He asked his voice suddenly roughened.

"Nearly done," then a slight pause, "If you would .." and he turned in an instant at the offer while she looked in surprise at the fire in his gaze as she quickly pulled the damp shirt to cover her shoulder. She tried again" If you would help me wash my hair that would be kind?"

He cleared his throat and tried to cover his arousal, this was not the place, you idiot, he scolded himself!" Of course. " he said gathering up the cloth and dipping it into the water to wet her hair. She gasped and shivered at the chill stream that trickled down her spine and then she tried to help him work the hard soap through her dark tresses. The rinsing was colder and she had to pull all her heavy mane forward over her face to allow the water to drain freely from it. "Too cold?" she could hear a smile in his voice.

"Ooh, hurry, lord, its freezing," She started to shiver as the chill encompassed her head. "Finish quickly I beg you!" and to her relief she felt him twist the worst of the water from her hair and back into the burn. "Th.. Th.. Thank you!" and then she felt the warmth of his big hand on her bare shoulder and what could only be a soft kiss on her still exposed neck. "Thor?"

A second large hand moved to her back and ran along where the loose shirt barely covered her upper back as he moved. she stilled unsure as to how to move.

"Your skin, Loki, it is so smooth," she felt his hand warm on her white neck and turned her hair in a thick twist to rest behind her head. "I would we were safe at home!" he said pulling away from her reluctantly.

"Tomorrow, my husband, or the next you said." she said quietly dropping her eyes from the fire in his.

"I know it is not the time, I am sorry, " He drew his eyes from her with an effort." here let me help you with that tunic, I can smell someone has started the fire!" He swept her up and she laid a sympathetic hand on his heated brow before raising her fingers to rake through his blond hair.

" I wonder if Aris has a comb." 

Thor's eyebrows rose." I was just going to shear it when we get home it has grown so rank!" he lifted her up again and they started back to the rest of their party.

"And mine too?" She said pulling at her own dark locks." I think not, husband!" 

Thor smiled broadly and pulled at the dark wet tangle that hung down over her shoulders. "I would not allow it!" he said as he lent down to place her beside the cheery fire someone had managed to set. 

"Oh ho, Aris, do you here that my husband forbids me to cut my hair?" she smiled too, wrapping an arm round Thor's knee where he stood beside her. "In your magically deep pack I do not suppose you might have a comb that I might borrow?" 

"You lighten my pack daily, my lady, my comb should be easy to find. "He held his side in anticipation of the pain of bending but Thor put a hand to his shoulder.

"Let me, friend." and he fetched the pack up into his hand. "Although I do not look forward to attacking this." he prodded at the mat of his hair. Loki reached over and looked at the bone comb she took from his hand to begin on her own hair. Thor returned to feeding and settling the horses for the night while their supper cooked sending its appetizing smell to make their stomachs complain and when it was cooked the food tasted as good as any feast with salt and barley to flavor the dried meat and even Loki ate with enthusiasm. Even Thor agreed he ate too much as he licked his third portion clean although his men smirked with pride at his appetite as he sat back against a saddle and let out his belt! "Excellent!" he patted his stomach in pleasure.

"We have a wine skin if you wish, Lord." Canis suggested. And that was it for the evening Loki sat behind Thor and eased and tugged at his matted hair despite his complaints, teasing out the strands until at last his handsome face was again surrounded by long, dark golden skeins that shone in the firelight. He lay relaxed and warm on her lap while he and the others exchanged news and wine in good measure after a while more of combing Loki bent forward and settled a small kiss on the smoothed hair. Aris was chewing some bark to ease his aches and offered some to her and when Thor nodded agreement she tried a strip and to her surprise it seemed to reduce the throb of her ankle as she finished combing.

"Done, maid? You may continue if you will." he encouraged ignoring a knowing smile from Canis's lips. Loki bent low to his ear to deliver words in a whisper. "Even better, of course I will. " He half rose and pulled Loki carefully before him in front of the lively little fire placing her wolf pelt across his lap for her to rest her head on. "I will be so gentle you will barely feel it, I promise."

Despite his words and the degree of concentration on his face she definitely knew each knot he found and in the end she ceased the litany of his quiet, frustrated "Sorry's" by a gentle finger to his lips. 

"You are doing a fine job, more gently than I managed with yours and we are nearly done," she encouraged, running ran her soft finger along the line of is mouth." please finish and when you are done I will plait it tight before we sleep."

"I like it loose, Loki, it is like black silk in this light." He ran his palm across her hair. "I think it is nearly finished though I would like to make sure." She nodded slipping till she was curled by his knee her head cushioned on his lap and there, listening to their stories and watching the dancing flames she fell gently into a dreamless sleep her hair spread across his lap like a sable river. 


	23. Meeting.

Loki tried hard not to move when she woke in the early light feeling the warmth of her husband curled around her protectively and enjoying the fresh smell of him as her nose was nuzzled tightly into his chest but the ache of her ankle seemed to have bloomed to real again pain now. She tried to move it slightly but when she could not she bit her lip and held back a whimper as the pull shot pain right through her leg, something she could not see seemed to be trapping it. Loki, not now, she scolded herself, the men, your lord need their sleep and your silly foot has slowed us down during the day surely you can cope with it for an hour or two now. She fought to contain herself and endure, not wanting to disturb the camp and appear weak but whatever held her foot was heavy and as her muscles began to cramp around her injury she felt the tears begin to force their way from under her lids. Thor shifted holding her even closer in his sleep and it felt like someone had thrust a knife into her leg, her whole body spasmed with the pain then and she tasted blood as she bit her tongue in her effort to remain silent. She felt Thor waken holding her to him in the dim light and looking around for any threat with sleep dulled eyes.

"Loki? What is it!" He peered into her face, then seeing her pale tears he pulled her up into his arms, that was too much, although whatever held her leg released her it was with a jolt and a strangled cry forced its way through her lips. "Sorry, maid, I must have lain on your leg in my sleep!" he said in a tone of horror as he tried to feel her injury with big, kind, painful hands!

"Stop!" she managed to force out through clenched teeth. "Gods, Thor! Please leave it to settle! " and his hands stilled in shock at her command. She saw through tear filled eyes what she thought was Aris turn to look at them from beyond the fire pit and Thor crouched before her with tension in every one of his lines as she huffed for breath and fought to suppress the pain. "Fine, it will be fine!" she hissed at him after the pain began to retreat a little, reaching with her long fingers and grasping his tunic and clumsily trying to pat his shoulder to comfort him with the other. He took that as encouragement to bear hug her again and he was gulping down tears so hard and was trying so desperately to avoid touching her ankle that she slid her arm around him to comfort him in return. 

Canis who was on guard came over to see what the fuss was about and the nights rest was over! The fire was stoked and Thor found the water skin to give to Loki to drink from, the pain in her leg still bloomed and Aris offered her another strip of willow bark to chew on as her tears subsided and her husband kissed the last of them mournfully off her cheeks on the growing light. He looked but did not touch her leg checking that the splint had not moved its line along her leg.

"It is still in place, maid, I am so..." he could not look her in the eye she saw and she put her hand to his trembling lips to silence his protestations.

"It was an accident, remember all those weeks ago when I said I would have to get used to sharing my life with a bear?" she gave him a wan smile, showing her sharp white teeth as she chewed keenly on the dry bark. "Just remember to try and give me some warning."

"I think you might have mentioned 'oaf' and 'clumsy' too." he added miserably watching her.

She smiled more at this and the hang dog expression on his handsome face, she put out her now steadier hand to his face. "Maybe I like clumsy oaf's if they are as kind and brave as you!" She heard Aris sigh somewhere beyond the packs and saw Thor throw him a filthy look before returning his blue eyes to her's hopeful for more absolution. " See better already!" she said rejecting the war hammer angrily beating on her ankle and hugging him to her, kissing his bearded cheek and smoothing his hair behind his ears again. " Maybe you could make me a little mulled wine for me, this bark is as bitter as cloves?" she asked as much to distract him as for the drink. 

Given a task he went about it like a rabbit from a trap and she was soon drinking the warm, watered wine while the men tended to the horses and packed. Thor took some of them towards the stream to drink and Canis brought a bowl of porridge over and crouched down in front of her with it and a bone spoon which she shyly, without looking up, took from him, uncomfortable at his close proximity to her.

"I am sorry...my lady." he seemed unsure of how to address her, not being of the court. She did not answer or look up at him in her embarrassment just held the food. Where was Thor? " We did not know." 

" Stand away, Canis, my lady does not choose to speak." Thor held the reins of his charges and dragged them with him, his face dark with anger as Canis stood.

"I.. we just want her to know we thought she was just some jotun boy..." he started but seeing Thor's unfriendly gaze just nodded his head and held out food for his Prince instead. Thor swapped it for the horses and the soldier went of to secure them in his stead.

"Did he bother you, maid? I am sure he meant well." He came and sat beside her pulling her under his arm before starting his breakfast.

"I know it is I who must learn that Asgardians enjoy close company." She poked at her food with her spoon." It is foreign to me, that is all."

He held her tighter with his arm kissing her now shining hair. "You have a lifetime to learn our ways, if you choose." he consoled. 

Her voice was thoughtful. "Thor? "

"Hmm?"

"Do you mind that? " She asked quietly.

"What? " he said still enjoying the silky feel of her hair.

"That your Asgard women are strong and fair and I.. I am not?" she asked in a small voice and then in a rush." Your men thought I was a boy in the woods because I lack your womenfolk's curves and I would not have you be shamed because of me." 

Thor wriggled to look into her face, his mouth open in disbelief, as she would not look at him he put his hand and lifted her face. " Do you jest?" he said in surprise. She shook her head lifting her other hand up to cover her mouth."You are the most gracious woman to have ever entered Asgard! It is I who is unworthy to be your husband, surely you cannot doubt my love of you though!"

" No one would ever mistake Sif or Anne for a man!" she said bitterly.

Thor snorted. "No one would dare call Sif a man to her face and Anne has never had anything happen to her more adventurous than a trip to the summer fair! You have changed countries and culture been married to an idiot of a stranger and now survived a kidnap and being attacked by rangers all in one season!" he said his voice half way between amusement and disbelief as he pulled her forward and kissed her eyes one after the other. "Still you stay brave and kind and funny, trust me. I could ask for no more perfect wife than you in all the nine realms, Loki, and believe me, I am the envy of any man who has ever laid eyes on you." 

She looked into his serious blue eyes as he lent his forehead against hers and remembered the cold painful years of her training in modesty, the insults and sneering of her father and brothers with only Mara for comfort. Asgard was to have been the final act of a short predestined life everybody had told her and the best she could hope for was to endure and then she had begun to get to know her kind bull headed betrothed. Perhaps he told some truths with his wonderful compliments, Bylister had wanted her more than a brother should after all those cruel years of jibes and she now recognized the look in Jor and Borg had held in their eyes and even in foolish Fandral's face, perhaps she was not the scrawny hag she had been trained to see in the mirror all her life. She looked at her porridge without appetite but did lean into Thor's comforting bulk with a little more warmth. 

"I promise you by winter's dark nights your name will grace a bundle of songs the singers will tout round the halls. Loki, they will say, fair and wise, a winter jewel from Jotuns crown," he looked thoughtful and was silent a moment. "What will rhyme with Loki do you think?" he asked warming to his subject.

"She who slows us up and whines, is what they are calling me this morning, Thor, your men are near ready to leave already and we are still eating." she quickly scooped the majority of her serving into his bowl and he shrugged and set about his task of eating it as fast as possible with gusto.

Blackie was his choice again and she wondered if it was because of her or his strength that he was picked to bear them again but she did not comment on he was so comfortable and secure under them. They took the lead, she settled contentedly in her husbands lap her ankle sore again but not unbearable and although the pace was slow the early start saw them miles nearer home by midday when one of the horses called out and then another. Thor reined them back pulling her close and drawing his cloak about to hide her and the other men pushed up around them defensively, all drawing their blade's. She felt the tension turn his muscles to steel and then they were suddenly surrounded by shouting, laughing warriors most emblazoned in some way with the scarlet of Asgard. Thor's shout roared through her whole body and he hugged her tighter she felt him kiss her hair before punching his sword up into the air in delight as his people swarmed around them.

Loki saw the man, Drift and then several of the housecarls that had stood guard at her own chambers and realized this must be one of the search parties. Men and a few women were smiling at them and some were pushing in to engage with their prince who was glowing with pleasure at their company a few offered her a greeting to and she tried to smile and at least nod in response but in truth it was very intense. She saw Aris close by his face a calm mask as he kept his horses shoulder close to their animals hip and she saw the guarded looks he was receiving from several of the newcomers and caught his eye to give a genuine smile, she hoped of encouragement, to him. The dark lord gave her a thin smile in return and continued to stay close amid the swirls of red around them. Thor eventually greeted most of his people happily at least once she thought and then sank into a conversation with one of the big carl's and Canis she heard home and tried to follow their plans as they talked above her. The others went to relay orders to the rest and her husband shifted her so that they could see each others faces and she saw his was serious.

"Loki, my love, we had a choice either another night on the road or a long day on it and a soft bed tonight. We have decided on a soft bed and safety but I want you to know that you need only say if you tire or ache and we will stop right there!" She found his earnest blue eyes too much to resist as he was oblivious to the pressure she suddenly felt and she also determined she would be the last to delay them. She slid a bright smile onto her face, willing her eyes to reflect it.

"Home tonight? How wonderful! We will surely make good time within this troop. Let us be gone whenever you are ready as I have the easiest task, to feel your arms about me and take in the view!" His face lifted at her words and he kissed her forehead and urged their horse onward with a shout to the others. 

The pace was undeniably faster and although the path was clear enough the woods seemed to stretch on forever as the afternoon light settle in round them the odd shower that had fallen during the morning became more persistent and a spiteful wind began to rise as well. They had stopped by a wide stretch of river banks to water the horses and stretch their legs while they adjusted the packs and Thor had lifted her down leaving her in the cloak with Aris while he walked their horses to water. 

"Are your bruises any better?" she asked sympathetically as he stretched stiffly.

"Somewhat, thank you, my lady. They would have been worse I realize, if you had not intervened." and she saw he had a strange look in his eyes as if he wished to ask something of her.

"Thank you, I would have done better with some weapon skills, I am easy to disarm it seems!!" she smiled over at him. 

"A maid such as yourself should never need those skills, you have your husband and an army now at your bidding and in small measure myself, gods willing, you will never have to protect yourself again!" he assured her seriously. 

" It may still be useful, who knows." she said trying to look at her ankle curiously without loosing her balance.

"What happened to those two scum who died? You were with Borg at the river and then I understand there was a handy riding accident while you and Jor were at the cliff face together?" he asked quietly so that no other could hear, suddenly his dark eyes intent on her's and she looked at him sharply wondering what he knew." You are very much more than you appear, my lady!"

"Lord Aris! You overstep yourself!" she warned her strange green eyes suddenly flashing away from his. "My story if it is told, shall be for my husband's ears first and never for gossip!"

He felt the heat of the passing verbal shot and recognized her reprimand, trying to pacify her immediately. "You mistake me, it is in admiration I ask, not for gossip, my lady!"

"Enough, we will speak of it no more here, my husband returns and I wish him no more distress after these past few days." She would not look at him but just at her returning lord, accepting the willow bark he offered her only when Thor insisted.

When she was settled before him again, the cloak wrapped around them both now was of scarlet and as thick and soft as Thor's own and he tucked it round her to keep the worst of the deteriorating weather out from them. As the day went on and the rain began in earnest she was glad of his warm body close by her as they rode and she tried to press as close into him as she could holding round his waist with one arm while he held her tight in return. Her leg ached steadily as the cold began to grip in on it despite Thor trying to keep it dry by his own leg and when she peered out to look up the rain was running in rivulets down the planes of his tanned cheek she wriggled up, balancing against his shoulder to pull the hood further up to protect his head, and kissed him softly under its shelter. He looked down at her.

"Will you be able to keep going a while, my maid?" He said louder than he was wont to talk to her because of the wind." The weather is against us but we are close enough to try for it." she nodded against his chest.

"What of the horses? They must be tiring?" She tried to reach Blackie's hide to scratch him but it was soaking and she soon tucked her hand in again.

"They want a warm bed too, although they might not know it. Stabling and warm mash for every one and double for this stalwart fellow!" He smiled with a kiss for her before peering out ahead to watch the path." The woods are breaking to parkland so we should soon see lights, maid!"

The rain made her miserable but the Asgardian weavers could be proud that although damp the cloak saved them from the worst of the downpour. The horse beneath them was still striding out like a hero when a cry from Thor made her raise her head from his chest again and one of their company let forth with a horn. The hooves of their horses sounded out on hollow wood! Loki tried to see through the lashing drops against her face and thought she could make out dim lights high up ahead. Thor bent to speak into her ear. "We are at the Blue Bridge and those are the watch fires of Asgard, Loki, we are home!" 


	24. The palace.

Lights flared along the walls of the castle and she could make out horsemen with torches coming out to mark their way into the gates. Thor pressed their horse on with a couple of vigorous kicks which even Loki could not begrudge because she could feel his excitement running through him like lightening as she was held tight to him among the swirl of their own party and newcomers from within. It was an almost frightening whirlwind of noise and lights as the warriors shouted to each other and horses pushed in about them as they careered forward under the outer gates and through into the flat road that ran close to the exercise grounds. The second gates were above them in a few minutes and the hooves clattered on cobbles instead of earth as the steps of the palace entrance loomed up before them and Thor dragged on the reins to bring their horse and everyone around them to a halt with a flourish!

"Your Father awaits in the hall, your mother has been summoned also. We all welcome you home, sir." The official bowed so low his jacket swept the floor.

Thor leaped from behind her, aches forgotten and held out his arms his smile as bright as the sun as she slid down into his embrace and he swung her joyfully into his arms before ascending the familiar steps up to where the doors were thrown open by many hands. She saw happy fair skinned faces and suddenly remembered swarthy skin and sat up in her husbands arm's trying to look over his big shoulder to find a familiar face. "Thor, what of Aris, he may not fare well among your people." she said quietly but in his ear and the prince hesitated for her words.

"There is a Jotun in our party, bring him safe with us, he is a liege man made and he is to be well treated." he told one of his fathers chamberlain's who nodded and returned towards the doors again. " He will see him brought safe to us, we will see my parents, your family too now of course." Then he saw the strange look on her face."Your leg, maid, of course we will need the healers first!"

"Husband, my leg will bide this while but to greet the king thus prepared." She looked at him and then down at herself and their hard worn and sodden clothes. She reached up to try and card her fingers through his lank hair and he laughed out loud at her.

"My father is not such a simpleton that he would not welcome us back in whatever we might wear!" But he kindly pushed a long dark strand of her sodden hair behind her ear "Come maid, they await us!" he said pushing on and through the hall doors to a tumult of cheers!

Loki made a conscious effort not to hide her face at the sea of happy noisy courtiers and servants alike who poured in and around them as Thor paused, she thought, for dramatic effect in the doorway. SIf kissed them both on the cheeks immediately, she and Anne held her hand although the noise around them drowned out their words of welcome. She then felt even her husband's solid frame jolt at Volstag's enthusiastic pat on the back and she was crushed in his embrace until she saw a rather subdued Fandral draw him off them. Odin sat with his face an impassive mask on his tall chair at the high table and she felt Thor lengthen his stride to take them straight over to him and the old man rose to greet him. She tugged at his collar and Thor bent to her ear as he walked.

" I would stand beside you, husband, for our dignity and to show all is well." she whispered and he nodded so that when he arrived at the high table he gently helped her slip to her feet holding her waist for support against him. 

"My son, you have returned to us in good health I hope." Odin's deep voice rattled like gravel as he stood tall and grave in a long pale deerskin cloak.

"Indeed father, Loki received an injury to her leg that will require the healers aid but we have been fortunate to return at all!" Thor's voice mirrored his father both in depth and volume.

The King rose then and raised a hand.

" My son, and his wife have returned to us hale and hearty, cooks raise up the ovens, stewards open the cellars! The feast will last till dawn!!" the cheers seemed to get impossibly louder. Thor beamed delightedly at that announcement and raised his voice to lead the cheering and Loki had no choice but to stand beside him aware of how she must look barefoot and bedraggled before such a glamorous gathering despite remaining largely draped in the voluminous scarlet cloak. Pride refused to let herself find the comfort of dropping her gaze to the floor so she kept her eyes firmly fixed on her husband who somehow despite being rain drenched and in borrowed clothes managed to look every inch the glorious prince! How had she been blessed enough to have been matched with someone so charismatic? Thor was talking quietly to his father and then nodded before speaking loudly over the enthusiastic court. " While we are delighted, of course, to be safe home among you again," he bent his head towards her." my beloved lady and I beg to be excused for necessary repairs." And with a wave he swept her up and followed his father through the side doors and into the ante chamber where Frigga stood, hands clasped calmly in front of her. As soon as the two carls that accompanied them closed the doors behind them though she swept forward and clasped Thor in a deep hug and perforce Loki in his arms also. Loki caught the scent of that bath cream over Thor's more stringent odor as she was encompassed in a sweep of long sleeves and loving words, before the Queen drew back and inspected her sons face carefully noting bruises and the line of a healing cut threading into his hair resting her hand on his shoulder. With a satisfied nod she drew back for them, and engaged familiar blue eyes with Loki's suddenly shy green ones.

"Loki dear, how are you managing? I understand you have hurt your leg, may I see it?" and when Loki nodded the queen gently moved Thor's cloak aside and looked at her grubby leg and its field splint she drew in a sharp breath and looked up at Thor then more softly at her again." You must be in much pain from that, sweetheart." She turned to Odin. " She needs the healers immediately, Husband, has her servant returned yet?"

"The creature went with the Jotun party when they left, messages were sent about their safety but she has not yet returned." Odin said avoiding looking at the injured limb.

"It is I who will be with her, she is my wife and her business is my primary concern in this, we will go down to the wards now." Thor's voice was calm and serious as she remained silent to let him deal with his family as he saw fit. She saw Odin's nod of dismissal and Frigga was leading them out into the corridor that lead to the healing rooms. The door opened and the healer was just pulling on his robe leaving Loki wondering whether they had roused him from his sleep. 

"My lady," he tipped his head to the queen politely," and our young lady. Again! I hope that nasty cut healed well. " he inquired. "Come sit her on this trestle, prince."

" My wife has been injured, her leg, healer, I fear it may be broken." Thor said anxiously as he set her carefully down on the bench. The healer tutted at the leg as Thor tried to calm her by rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand while holding her still to be examined. 

The healer fetched a cup and poured red wine into it then mixed a pale powder before holding it out to her. She looked at it then Thor who reached for the cup himself.

"This will help you to sleep, maid, I will stay here with you, drink deep." and he held the drink to her lips. Loki looked at him and then the Queen now talking to the old healer in quiet tones. Thor sipped it to lead the way. "It is sweet! Drink deep, Loki, it will be best." She lost herself in his eyes while he held the cup and she drank a deep draft. "Try and finish it, love." he coaxed, swirling the dregs into suspension and tipping the last of the cup into her mouth. She grimaced and shivered. "Loki?" 

"Only bitter, husband, nothing more although it grows warm in here of a sudden!" she heard her voice as if in a cave and felt heavy in his arms as she felt his lips on hers and her eyes grew heavy and closed.

xxx

"Loki? I think she wakes, healer." Thor's anxious voice came from far off. " Loki? can you hear me?" and she felt a hand on her cheek. Her eyes blinked open and she could make out a shock of untidy blond hair above her. 

"Thor?" and she felt pulled up to sit against what she knew to be her husbands shoulder making her head spin with the sudden shift. "Ow, careful, husband, remember to talk before you move me so!" she put a hand on his arm and huffed in a breath but enjoyed his familiar strength behind her .

"Thank you healer," she recognized the queens voice beyond them." Can she leave?"

"Let her take the pills when she needs and we would like to see her tomorrow when you are... less in demand." she heard the old man answer and her sight began to clear, Thor coming into focus first before the others behind him.

"Come, we will get you to your rooms but you should bid the assembly good night there has been no peace here since you were taken." The queen guided him sympathetically." Will you manage that, maid? I am sorry to ask it of you."

Loki still felt somewhat dizzy and merely nodded her agreement when she realized Frigga was addressing her. Thor kissed her confused head and the corridor whirled around them again as they made their way back to the revelries. Odin stood looking at them all as they entered. Frigga whispered something in his ear as she was allowed down to stand beside Thor again, her ankle definitely felt better, more stable and more softly padded than before she realized as her senses stabilized back into normality. Her head had stopped spinning and the merry crowd were obviously delighted at their return. Thor waved and roared at the assembly like the showman he was and his people enthusiastically roared back at him. Frigga and Odin beamed like the proud and much relieved parents they were and she felt the bond that unified the court at the relief of their returned heir. Even overwhelmed with the sudden noise and color she realized that her heart too sped up at the sight of Thor in his natural element, it was not pomp that made him beloved to his people it was because he as a natural figurehead to a warrior race. Strong, golden and brave she recognized he was a prince of Asgard born. Fate had allowed her to stand beside him, as his people enveloped him in their joy at his safe return she felt the pride and happiness inside of her bloom. There was something she, Loki, alone could give him at this moment of happiness that she hoped she read him well enough to know he would like. Still with his comforting and supporting arm round her waist she slid her long slim hands up and around his neck and drew his handsome and suddenly very surprised face down to her mouth for a soft but lingering kiss while the crowd cheered and whooped ecstatically! 


	25. Haven.

Even as their lips joined and their breaths merged the noise faded and the colors dimmed around them at the touch and neither wished to break away from the other despite their noisy audience. Loki heard Odin's loud bark of what sounded like laughter and the moment was broken as she pulled back against where Thor's hand had slipped securely behind her head to hold her steady against his mouth. Thor let out a huff of air when their contact finished and she looked up into his eyes where she saw some confusion and undeniably the kindling of heat hidden in his blue gaze. 

"Loki?" his voice was low and he released her as she pulled back from the impromptu kiss almost as surprised at her own boldness before the assembled court as he seemed to be. "Thank you." He said and she felt the blush race from throat to brow like an unstoppable tide but did not back away from him setting her back straight and proud. She felt honored by his acceptance of her gift and indeed all her strange alien ways and felt if she was to be his wife then she would try and make him proud to let her stand by him. She tried to stay as regal as the Queen beside them and at least appear as calm as she could, despite only wanting to be hidden from every eye she could see fixed however benignly upon her. Benign? To her surprise as she actually looked there were as many different expressions as there were faces but they did seem to be genuinely happy at their return and while she knew it was mostly directed at their future king she, if only by her marriage, was part of the celebration. Why should she not bathe in happiness as Thor did and if it did not come as easily to her as to Thor it could still be a joy to allow it to surround her too in this night of celebration. 

"Enough!" Barked Odin on a voice that carried across the noisy room causing a lull. "I think we all recognize young love when we see it?" Loki dropped her eyes then but Thor laughed freely beside her while Odin must surely have felt Frigga's scandalized glance fall on his back. "We will have many, many nights and days to hear of their adventures this last week but surely in our hearts we cannot begrudge them a nights peace in their own chambers?" the cheers were loud and interspersed with whistles then and Odin landed a hearty slap on his son's broad shoulder. "So we wish them both a good night!" and so it was, they were released.

The tumult stopped with the closing of the doors leaving the queen and the young couple with only the two housecarls in a corridor that was both calm and cool. Frigga turned to them.

"I will have to return shortly as your father will tire of his own company quickly and I am sure you would like some time by yourselves." Frigga kissed her son's face and squeezed Loki's hand where she held Thor's tunic. "Let the guards do the tasks Odin has ordered and there are extra men in the garden towers now." Thor seemed about to protest but his mother shook her head. "Indulge us, my son, we thought we might have lost you!" and her son nodded. " Tomorrow we will talk." Frigga straightened her back and with a small smile left them.

Thor stood still leaning against the wall and took a deep breath. "We will be returning to my rooms presently and I would ask you to follow my father's instructions and check them thoroughly, Edin, my lady and I will follow at a more leisurely pace." 

"But, my Lord, our orders were to remain at your side!" Edin protests to his leader.

" We are in the heart of the castle and tell me that there are not double guards posted tonight?" Thor said with a smile on his face.

"Thrice on the living quarters!" the man nodded in agreement, a small smile on his lips. "You were much missed, my lord!"

"And we are home now, a little space for my lady and I before we retire is surely not too much to ask?" he said looking at the soldier who dipped his head in agreement and Loki watched as he took his fellow with him towards their rooms. Thor stayed a moment then started walking after them and though she thought she guessed what Thor was thinking as they started up a familiar stairway her heart lifted. When they arrived at their favorite seat he sat down with her across his knees still in he crook of his arm. 

"Welcome home, Loki." he said and she heard an unusual tiredness in his voice and looked up into his face in concern. There were more lights along the covered walkway than usual and she could see dark shadows under her husbands eyes as she brought her fingers up to run over his skin there. He lent into her touch and kissed her finger tips and she felt his warm breath across her hand as he sighed and looked out onto the peaceful gardens below.

"We are safe, husband." She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as she felt his own hand begin to slowly comb through her hair.

"Thank the norns, I am only now believing we have won through, despite the odds, maid." and she felt him relax against the stones behind them. 

"I love this spot it is so peaceful and I thank you for your kind idea." and here she paused to look at him again as his eyes began to close." But we have had a wearisome time of late and I think perhaps we should retire to our rooms before it is I who has to carry you there, come on my warrior!" and she gently prodded his ribs to rouse him.

At that moment the guard, Edin, appeared from the stairway and finding them he stopped in obvious relief and stood back against the wall. Thor put his head up wearily at the new arrival. " Privacy is not an option even here tonight it seems!" he muttered and gathered her up once again a little roughly in his frustration."We are coming!" he said and shifted her in his arms before wearily descending the stairs and heading towards their wing. The men insisted on checking their room again before they entered to Thor's annoyance and when they returned to stand by the outer doors he bid them a very terse goodnight before finally closing their doors on the world.

Thor leaned his back against the wood behind him with a relieved sigh and Loki listened to the faint sounds of the two carls taking up their positions on either side out in the corridor but also the steady beat of Thor's heart so close to her ear. After a few moments he pushed off and carried her to stand at the entrance to the bedroom which was well lit with candles this time and the curtains closely drawn across the windows. 

" At last, maid, our own room," he said with a happy lop-sided smile." looks like they think this will be your side, a fresh shift is laid ready for you!" he said nodding where the white garment lay and she suddenly felt surprise at the momentous fact that they were in their marital room and alone and safe at last! She felt self conscious of a sudden and sat a little more stiffly in his arm's, how after all these days could she still be so? They had known each other already, although it had been dark and when they were still in shock from their ordeal, how could she be such a fool she scolded herself but could not resist to ask for a few minutes delay.

"A boon, husband?" Loki asked quickly and he stopped in his stride. "May I wash before I change into it?" He looked down at her with raised eyebrows but then nodded and bent to allow her to pick it up and placidly carried to the bathrooms. It was as she had last seen it clean and warm. Thor was looking around too and then she felt him shift her slightly and she looked up a his face and saw him looking towards the bath.

"I could help you bathe?" and she thought she heard a hopeful note in his voice.

" And then we will have to sleep with my wet bandages all night," She patted his arm instead." just leave me here for a few minutes, if you would, and I will call." she asked. 

"As you wish, maid." and he let her stand near the sink against the cool of the marble surface. She lent up and kissed him then and he started to kiss her in return before she gently pushed him away and towards the door. "I will go and change then." he sighed.

Loki drew a long breath before she started to run the warm water over her wrists and hands and then let it out slowly before looking up into the mirror. The face that looked back was still all sharp angles and her eyes were large and dark in the candlelight with her hair hanging straight and dark like black curtains around her pale skin. She wanted to look away in distaste, could not the weather of the last week at least put some color on her to relieve the pallor? What could Thor see that she could not? The features were even, her nose straight if not too thin and over long, she allowed her hair was at least shining in the soft light and maybe she could see that it was lush in its sheer volume. She sighed, her eyes were the hardest to live with though, large, yes and matched but their color and the black lashes and eyebrows made her look foreign and she thought faintly menacing, made worse when she tried to lighten the look with a smile. And that big multicolored bruise on her cheek that her brother had gifted her with really did not help! Balancing as best she could with as little weight on her splinted leg as possible she scrubbed hard with her hands to remove the days dust from her the skin on her arms and face. Getting her borrowed clothes off was more of a challenge but she was careful not to slip on the slate and quickly covered herself with the sweet smelling linen of the shift before she picked up the lovely wolf embossed silver hairbrush to start on her hair. She ran her fingers along the fluid lines of the pattern as she had all those days ago and looked across at the golden boar that decorated Thor's, and smiled a little, fondly. It really did not matter so much how she felt about her looks as long as others thought her worthy she scolded herself and raising her chin she began brushing through the long sweep of her hair with vigor. boldly looking straight at her reflection the mirror as she did so.

Soon her hair hung like a smooth river of night around her shoulders and over the white shift and she realized that she was ready. She replaced the brush and comb neatly to their places and looked once more at the glass. Could be worse she judged, had been worse! Then she made her way carefully along the wall and opened the bathroom door. 

"Thor?" she called quietly and when there came no reply." Thor, I am finished!" A little louder.

"Husband?" she called in earnest into the candle lit reception area. When there came no response she felt an uncomfortable twitch of deja vu and began to make her own way towards the bedroom balancing carefully on the furniture and her sound leg. Her breath began to shorten as there was only silence ahead and although she could see the interior of their room was softly candlelit it was all just too reminiscent of the kidnapping!

"Thor?" she called breathlessly sounding sharp in her own ears." Is all well?" and she could heard a small noises coming from within, she looked round and picked up a candlestick quickly removing and dowsing the candle, she held it ready in defense before limping on as quietly as she could manage. She peered into the bedroom cautiously prepared for trouble but there was only her husband lying flat out on the bed, fully dressed still, cloak, boots and all! Her brows knitted in concern briefly before the relief of recognition swept them clear to be replaced with a smile. Thor's eyes were closed but his mouth was open and the noise was undeniably him snoring, soft and regular in the quiet of their rooms. Loki felt her smile widen in relief as she put the candlestick down on a kist at the bottom of their bed and turned to look across the quilt on which her husband lay stretched. Perhaps she should call the carls in to help she wondered briefly before rejecting the idea. She would surely manage after all their adventures so she wobbled her way to stand beside him and wondered where to start undressing him.

"Oh Thor!" she chided quietly near his ear as she lent over him to undo the clasp of his scarlet cloak." at least you made it onto the bed and I did not have to carry you!" He barely stirred as she pulled and tugged at buckles and fastenings until only shirt and trews tucked into those stalwart boots remained. She debated on leaving them on but remembered the pain when he had lain across her leg and feared their bite on her newly dressed ankle. She positioned her good foot on the sole of one of her husbands and heaved with all her strength until his boot shifted slightly and then suddenly came free in her hands and she dropped it with a thud on the floor before repeating it with the other enjoying where her bare foot lay along his bigger warmer one before she pulled hard again nearly slipping from the bed as the boot finally relinquished its grip! She was panting with the exertion and could hardly believe that Thor slept calmly on his breath barely hitching when the second of his boots joined the first with a resounding thump.

Loki sat for a moment taking in the situation and went round to extinguish some of the many candles just leaving two tall ones by the window to last the night. The white linen of the sheets looked deliciously luxurious where a servant had prepared them but she would have to wake Thor so she crawled carefully up the bed beside him still above the covers and pulled the soft pillows down rolling her husband's head carefully on to one. Then she pulled the long edges of the gold and red quilt over herself and her sound sleeping prince so that although the room was a little chill the furnace that was Thor immediately started to warm her wherever they touched. She pulled his big arm round her so that her cheek rested on his chest and his hand curled around at her waist. She sighed as she snuggled closer yet, perhaps she should have woken him when she returned from washing because now they were settled she inhaled his scent and felt his heat and wondered about more. Her hand slid of its own volition along his shirt and found a chink of warmth beneath before sliding up to feel the soft fuzz of hair on his chest, she wriggled a little more pulling at his collar so that her cheek too found the warmth of his skin to rest on. Just for a few minutes she thought, till she relaxed as she would not wish to be considered presumptuous by him waking to her thus entangled with him. Just a few minutes. She yawned and then the room was silent except for their sleeping breaths.


	26. The morning.

She was warm and lying on soft, soft bedding with the light of the sun streaming through a gap in the curtains turning the white pillows golden though more golden still was the hair in which her fingers lay tangled. Loki was reluctant to move, feeling barely a twinge from her ankle as she lay looking at Thor's handsome sleeping face and began to collect her thoughts while threading the fair curls slowly through her fingertips. They had been through so much these last days she thought watching his eyelashes flutter like thin gold wires against his tanned cheeks and he deserved his rest she knew but her fingers could not resist reaching out to feel them. Thor's even breathing hitched slightly and he drew in a sigh before his blue eyes opened a slit and fixed on her own.

"Loki." his deep voice was graveled with sleep but his mouth twisted into a lazy smile," that tickles." he said as he raised his own hand to cup it gently over hers as she smiled back and relaxed into his hold. He shifted to face her and himself raised his hand to push an unruly lock of her dark hair back from her face. 

" We are both come safe to port, my husband, against all the odds!" she said looking up at him with her slender hand still held safe within his broad one. Thor moved his free hand to her cheek and he ran the square pads of his fingers slowly along the sharp line of her jaw to come to rest under her chin and tip it up a little towards him, He looked searchingly into the green pools of her eyes before slowly dropping his head to brush his lips against hers then lowering into deeper kiss which Loki leaned up into, keen to return his embrace. As she felt the touch of his tongue slide across her lips she reached up to gather more of his hair in her hand and use it to pull him as close to her as she could. Thor groaned softly moving from beside her to carefully resting on his elbow above her, he pulled off his tunic taking care not to touch her injured leg or even pull at the black pool of her hair as it lay across the pillows below them. Loki breathed in sharply as his mouth moved to caress her brow and then her cheek before dragging across her face to taste where her throat lay below her jaw, the harshness of his beard on her smooth skin dragging her senses with it. Her free hand sought to feel the hard muscles that stretched across his shoulders as her thoughts began to drift with the intensity of the feelings her husbands explorations of her neck were producing. Thor released her hand and she felt him wriggle out of his trews beneath the blankets but continued to kiss her softly and when he began to run his hand up her arm and onto her shoulder she could feel the heat of his body as he began to move closer to hers. He held himself up and over her and then drew back before looking at her with darkening eyes seeking a sign from her, her hand in his hair tugged him back down until their mouths meshed again.

And then there was a quiet but distinct clearing of a throat nearby!

They froze as one, both of their eyes flying wide with shock and while she burrowed deeper into the bedding Thor whipped round launching himself naked from the bed at the intruder!

"My Lord Thor!" squeaked the horrified chamberlain as he was wrenched off his feet by his collar and suddenly dangled from his prince's great fist with Thor's face inches from his own and drawn into a fierce mask his other fist drawn back ready to strike a killing blow on the unfortunate man! 

"Steward? What is the meaning of this intrusion into my chambers?" roared the Prince shaking him as a terrier would shake a rat. 

"With the unfortunate ...incident it was thought best if we check that all is well with you and my lady, sir." The man managed to say although his face was reddening under the pressure of his master's grip. Thor dropped him suddenly and the poor man struggled to remain upright, hastily readjusting his uniform. 

"We are well, now leave us!" Thor growled

"Your father insisted that we assure your safety, my lord, I am sorry if you are angered!" the man explained politely.

"Fine! Now out!" Thor's voice was louder and the man bobbed his head nervously as he hesitated.

"But your..." It was Thor's face that reddened now his breath coming in gusts!

" NOW!" he bellowed before the man positively scuttled to the door closing it behind himself with a soft click. What must Loki be thinking he thought, horrified at how upset she must be at this invasion of their privacy as he turned back to their bed. "Loki?" he called out quietly to her.

"Are they gone?" she queried from the pile of bedding which moved as she peered out, her eyes wide and black hair tousled. 

"Indeed, maid, he meant no ill but I am sorry for your fright!" he said in what he hoped was a comforting tone as realizing his state of undress he pulled up an edge of blanket to cover himself. She looked wide eyed at the door and then at him shifting from foot to foot anxiously in front of her and then to his disbelief her beautiful mouth broke into a smile which quickly spread across her face! The pile of blankets began to shake as he heard a laugh begin to bubble up from her lips and then she was laughing fully, holding the rugs close to her.

"The norns are surely toying with us my husband, are we never to enjoy each other in peace? We are wed these many days and yet our time together has been a grasped few hours in a ragged tent?" She wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of eyes. " If there is ever to be an heir to our house then we must be more insistent about our time alone, so come back to bed, my lord, before your mother comes to tea or an army invades!"

Thor stared at her smiling broadly as he realized what she said and as she raised one of her arms to invite him to rejoin her under the covers again he needed no more urging making the bed creak as he pounced forward.

xxx

They laughed like children as they forced themselves out of bed to get ready to lunch with the Queen some hours later. The formal clothes the court and his parents would expect them to wear were hung waiting in their closets and she had a complimentary dress to go with his gold embossed tunic. They invited no servants to tend them though and Loki enjoyed brushing her husbands long hair with the golden boar engraved brush and bind it in a cue with a red ribbon. Thor brushed out her hair with her own silver wolf one but struggled to plait in the matching ribbon so she wrapped it around her thick hair as best she could feeling a sudden pang at Mara's absence and wondering if she was well. She made him turn about and nodded before checking herself in the long mirror and smoothing down the stomacher of her bodice and adjusting her skirts to cover her bandaged leg she pronounced them ready for their expected company.

" Will we be eating in the hall tonight?" Loki asked as he helped her to a chair near the table to wait, the thought of them as a public spectacle so soon was not appealing.

"No, well maybe, but this will be in our rooms as everyone will understand our desire for some privacy!" he said when she was seated." We will have to let someone in to set luncheon though." and when she nodded in agreement he went out to instruct the guards accordingly.

The servant who returned with him dipped her head politely to Loki but said nothing, efficiently setting the table from the tray she brought. "The food will be sent for when your ladyship is ready." she informed them before she left. The Queen was not far behind and she swept in as calm and regal as ever, tilting her head to accept her son's welcoming kiss and embracing him warmly before joining Loki where she sat. 

"No, no, girl, stay seated, I only hope your injury is healing well." she put a hand out and tilted the girls face to better study its bruise in the light. " You have both been through a terrible ordeal and I am sure we have not heard the half of it!" she said comfortingly patting her shoulder. "Thor, your father wishes to meet with you at your soonest convenience this afternoon, it has been an unpleasant incident and will need to be dealt with as soon as possible, of course, before any canker can spread further!" 

" Of course, mother," his brow furrowed at the thought and Loki placed her hand on his for support. 

" We need not speak here of these things though," her smile was a little thin." We are only glad you are both returned to us safely as these have been worrying days with no news until you met up with those scouts."

"It is a complex tale with which I myself have not all the answers yet in place." Thor agreed and Loki blushing, suddenly remembered her brief talk with Aris.

"Aris!" she said turning to Thor in concern. 

"Of course, did you here of the welfare of one of Loki's kin, a Jotun, a Lord Aris?" he asked Frigga quickly. "He aided us."

" A dark, thin fellow?" she answered and when her son nodded. " He was taken to the healers after you, maid, and I would have heard if things had gone amiss with him there." she placated them. " What of the thieves? Not one left, from what you said, to further their mischief? 

" All accounted for, root and bough." Thor nodded slipping his arm round his wife's shoulders in comfort from where he stood beside her. "Enough of this until I have spoken to father, I think, will you be at the meeting?" 

"Indeed, enough is said for now." The queen agreed looking at Loki's downcast face and then at her son pointedly. " Ah, here is lunch, chicken, just what I fancy!"


	27. Missives.

Loki breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the queen left after they had eaten, Frigga had been polite and sympathetic but the atmosphere had been ripe with unasked questions and she was glad that she would not have to attend the meeting with her husband later. Thor was quieter when she had gone and the servants had cleared the table he came to help her up and carried her to sit on the bench on their balcony.

" Your mother is worried." Loki said looking up at him and she drew him back to sit beside her where he slipped his arm round her while she lent her head against his shoulder. " I cannot guess what my father will make of my brother's actions."

"And my father needs to know your brother worked as a lone wolf and not on the orders of his king." He said resting his head on her's when there was a loud rap at the door. They exchanged looks and he went inside to answer it, the large figure who appeared on the balcony caused her to gasp before she was swept up into great arms in a crushing grip!

"Mara!" Loki cried out, laughing as she was swung around in the air like a child in the giantess's hands. Thor stood in the doorway smiling broadly as her arms wound round the bristly neck and she kissed the ogress joyfully on the cheek and brow. "Oh, Mara, I have so missed you. Are you well?" She pulled back to look into the small pale eyes and held the expanse of her face in her slim fingers. The giantess did not speak of course but made to put her back on her feet and when Loki held on to her for balance, she held her up close again by her waist. "Too tight, mistress!" the girl laughed.

"Your lady has hurt her leg!" Mara had released her a little and Thor helped by kneeling to show her Loki's bandaged ankle. When the other turned accusing eyes on him he stood again and held up his hands. "I did my best but we were attacked and Loki was injured in the fighting!" he defended himself. Mara raked her gaze across him and he felt her disapproval.

"Do not chide him, Mara, Thor was my champion throughout the whole affair, he set my leg straight and carried me before him when I could not ride, no lord could do more for his lady!" She smiled proudly at him and thought he almost glowed under her praise. Mara held her still and brushed a gentle finger across the fading bruise on her face. " We were hard pressed a while, I will not deny it, but we are safe now and that is worth celebration, surely?" 

The giantess settled on the sturdy bench and drew Loki onto her knee careful not to knock her leg and Thor was glad to see his wife so content at last. " You are in good company, my lass, I must meet my father now but could not leave you in better hands."

"I hope it goes well, husband, go now and spare no thought to me for Mara and I have much to catch up on." He lent down and kissed her and she returned it softly, keenly until she broke away with a nervous little glance at Mara." Sorry, we are in much changed times and I forgot myself a moment."

Mara's face was impassive but Thor raised his eyebrows at Loki who allowed him a small smile as he left them.

 xxx

" Thor, welcome, I was going to send for you." Odin's face was serious as he led him towards the council room, the queen on his arm." News of your escape from captivity prompted the Jotuns to respond and these missives have been received from Laufrey with the party recently returned from him, we were just about to open them."

Only three of their most senior advisers were present and they seated themselves as a leather wallet heavily embossed with the Jotunheim emblem was placed on the table and the King drew a deep breath before he opened it. There was a long pause while Odin scanned through the enclosed papers.

"Husband ?" Only the queen dared to interrupt his thoughts. 

"Not a word about the kidnap," He said turning the page over to see if there was more. 

"Is it war over Bylister's death then? Does he call it murder?" Thor's heart sunk as Odin passed the letter to him and then put a hand over one of Frigga's while his son read and then reread the words before him.

"Laufrey regrets to inform us of one of sons Bylister's death in a hunting accident!" Odin informed the others around the table shaking his head in disbelief and when Frigga let loose with a relieved sigh and the advisers visibly relaxed at the news Thor looked up at his parents, confusion on his face.

"No apologies? No threats? No demands for reparation? And what does he mean that he understands Loki's new duties will not allow her to attend the funeral, they cannot have a body to bury? " he felt relief but anger too at the summary dismissal of all the pain of their kidnapping!

"Laufrey does not seek war." Odin said looking at him solemnly. "This way there is no perceived loss of honor."

"My lady and I suffered great ill at his hands, will that all be forgotten?" Thor said angrily.

"And Jotunheim lost a prince and Laufrey a son. I am sorry for Loki and your distress but the ledger is balanced in my eyes also." Odin said leaning back in his chair. 

" I would see us all safe in our own beds!" Thor stormed his fists clenched on the table.

"There would be no safe place in a war, my son, let Laufrey and Asgard have this, you and your maid are home, a little the worse for ware, but home. Let this be." Odin advised his brow furrowed and his eyes flat as he watched his son.

" What if our story leaks out and we are questioned? Will I have to save Bylister's name?" he insisted.

"Tell your tale, many know some of it already. Leave out the name." His mother lent forward and put a hand on his arm her blue eyes fixed on his, sensing impending conflict between her two stubborn men.

"But mother, will I tell Loki her suffering will be unavenged ? She is my wife and I wish her treatment to be redressed." he insisted earnestly fighting to curb his frustration.

"Loki is a clever girl and she is of a royal house, she will understand." his mother patted his arm for comfort glancing at her glowering husband. "Gather yourself and go and speak to her if you must."

xxx

The housecarl opened the door to his apartments and when inside Thor drew breath, trying to rid himself of the anger that still roiled in his stomach. He knew that Laufrey had found a way to avoid an international scandal which, given their countries recent history, might mean another war, he could even give grudging respect for the plan but... He knew also that his parents were right to suppress the whole thing to such a small incident that it could more easily be swept away but the need for the action he found so cathartic was hard to ignore. 

"Loki?" The apartments were very quiet he realized and pushing down his twinge of anxiety that drowned his anger immediately he wondered if Loki and her servant had gone to the gardens but he made out a small noise from the balcony. Then he let out the breath he did not realize he was holding as he found the giantess sitting with his wife asleep on her lap like a child in their mothers arms. "Oh," he dropped his voice and stood watching them unsure of his next move with Loki seeming deep in slumber and so relaxed that he was loath to disturb the pair as they sat in the sun.

The grim face of the Jotun turned to him though and gave him a brief nod before she shifted the girl's position in her arms and he realized suddenly she was offering her to his care. He came forward and hesitated a moment unsure how best to lift her away from the others lap then slid his arms beneath her shoulder and knee and as carefully as he could transferred her weight so that her cheek lay against his chest. He nodded back at the large servant and carried Loki inside and towards the bedroom to let her continue her nap in comfort where it was cooler inside in the dimmer light. He managed the door handle entering to see their room had already been tidied despite their late rising, the red coverlet in place over the bed. He kicked the door closed with his foot before he knelt on the bed and tried to let his arm slide from beneath the maid without waking her but one of his buckles caught in her hair and her hand went sleepily to where they were entangled and her green eyes opened enough to engage his widening a little in recognition.

"Sorry, my lass!" he whispered as he looked down on her white skin and soft black hair as she lay against the scarlet throw below him and then he slid his arm back beneath her again, dropping down to place a kiss on her forehead feeling her hand slip up around his neck to twine into his hair above the cue and pull him close. Her kiss when their lips met was languorous with sleep but he was keen enough for both and felt her body begin to rise to meet his as his mouth slipped below her chin and moved down the slim column of her throat to catch against where the vibration of her voice softly said his name. They might be late for supper he mused and then within a few moments his new wife moved below him and he no longer cared. 


	28. Duties.

Loki lay beside him, a slight figure beneath the coverlet in the dimly lit room and he watched with pleasure as his beautiful wife's even breathing moved her black hair where it lay across her face. He raised his finger to move the strands behind her ear again and saw her breath hitch at the sensation, her eyes fluttered open slowly and he saw her soft lips draw back in a slow smile.

"Husband." her voice, husky and drowsy moved his blood again and he slipped closer yet to her, sharing his warmth beneath the thin red silk of their mantle. "Should we not rise again to see what hour it is?" His mouth said No! on the skin of her shoulder and she shivered at his touch breathing in his scent as it rose from the tangled fair hair below her." You said we must attend Dinner in the hall and the day is over by the darkening of the sky." Thor stilled.

"Darkening? Surely we have scarcely had lunch." he groaned still nuzzling into her throat and slowly moving aside the silky curtain of her hair to allow better access. Loki looked over to the sliver of sky just visible above their curtains.

"No, either that or there is a sudden storm." she held his cheeks and reluctantly redirected his face away from her and and towards the windows. Thor groaned and lay back again on the bed his hand over his eyes. 

"Surely the day cannot have passed so fast," he complained his other hand still stroking through her hair while she watched him with amusement as his mouth settled in an undeniable pout in his handsome face.

"Come, my warrior, we must do our duty." she pulled the cover about her and sat up to find her shift where it lay discarded beside the bed. " I will have to face Mara and will not look so... ruffled!" she said pulling her hair away from his fingers and running her own through it instead.

"How long do you think we have?" he grumbled sitting up and scratching his beard grumpily. 

"One of us will have to venture forth and find out." she looked at him pointedly and he sighed drawing on his breeks and half-heartedly looking round for his shirt.

" Then it will be I that has to face your woman, she can be intimidating you know!" he said." I don't think she approves of me."

"Mara is a treasure, as are you, my husband!" she added quickly." and I am hope you will both grow to respect each other as you both deserve." Loki said firmly as he dipped in for a parting kiss before heading for the door as he struggled to fasten the last of his buttons.

He had barely left her for a minute before he hurried back in his brow furrowed and his pace definitely faster.

"You were right it is late, we have only enough time to dress before we must leave for dinner." he said bending to help her from the bed.

"I must wash, I was hoping you would help me bathe, " she smiled as his face brightened at her words but she shook her head. "now a wash will have to suffice." 

" We could be a little late, surely. I could help you and the pool is big enough for us both while I ..support you in the water!" he was smiling again now but she just looked at him with those cool green eyes. "Oh, Loki only a little late, we could blame your injury!" but she did not respond and she saw his hope wither with her silence. " I know, I know, you are right, let me carry you to the bathroom and I will fetch Mara to tend to you." he said with a resigned sigh.

Mara balanced her while she dressed tutting with dismay at the bruises that lay scattered in a range of healing colors across her body but Loki insisted there was no time to tend them and the ogress reluctantly helped with the complex fastenings for the formal gold bedecked kirtle she had chosen to match Thor's formal tunic. They rejoined him in the bedroom as he was pulling on a smart pair of black boots that added an inch or two to his already impressive height before he stamped them to fit the last bit of his foot in.

"You look lovely, maid, it becomes you!" he said admiring how her ornate bodice caught the light. "Are you ready?

" My hair?" She asked turning towards him as Mara raised the wolf brush and started to pull it through her hair in long familiar sweeps. Loki saw Thor's eyes catch the movement and a twist of emotion flickered across his blue eyes. Loki smiled as they looked at each other. " Mara," she said quietly raising her hand to catch the brush from the other woman's hand and handing it to him. "I wish my husband to brush my hair but I would have you help with its binding after, if you will!" 

Thor grinned unreservedly, kissing her forehead before taking the wolf brush to stand behind her to take the heavy hair in hand. It was soothing for both of them as they caught each others eye in the mirror Thor's expression darkened.

"Loki, I have news of your family." She gave a sharp intake of breath and sat still her face slipping into a calm mask. "There will be no war," he said quickly and her breathing resumed." Your father has broadcast that Bylister was killed in a hunting accident and my parents seem to agree that the lie covers the sin adequately. I would seek recompense for our travails in action, but as you know I am not renowned for my tolerance! What are your feelings?" His hand was now still against her hair.

She was silent for a minute. "I have nothing to gain and all to loose from war between my father and my husband's people. If our Kings agree to a path of peace, however worded, I would willingly stand behind it." she said at last engaging his eye in the glass before them.

" Without address to our suffering?" he pressed.

" Who could deliver address? Bylister is food for the worms, Laufrey King is bereft of a son and we are returned safe to our home so I am content." she said firmly but then looked up at him and his unhappy face. " But," she continued carefully. "If you cannot bare closure like this, I will, of course, follow your lead, my husband."

He looked at her thoughtfully and then sighed himself. "No, my wife, it is I that will take your word as lead in this." He picked up her hair and began smoothing through it again." You speak with admirable temperance on this and if you can put this harsh business behind you, can I do less? I will inform my parents of our support of this over dinner. " his round blue eyes widened." Dinner! We must hurry!" 

xxx

Loki felt strange seated at the high table even though she was close in beside Thor, the Queen lent over to talk to her and smiled at her when she caught her eye but Odin and his son sat between them and they were bent on the details of their ordeal so she largely sat quietly while her husband talked. Loki felt the eyes of the court on them and despite Thor enjoying the lion's share of their attention with so many people looking at her curiously and talking about them she only looked forward to the end of the meal when she could return to the quiet of their rooms. She saw and smiled at friends who she noticed and was particularly pleased to see Anne sitting with Thor's martial friends and some other younger people nearby. She even managed to look behind her where Mara stood by the wall not far away and a few paces from her she blinked, surprised to see the dark, tall figure of Aris, standing watching the court life move around him with his clever black eyes. He turned and caught her looking at him and gave a short bow his face a mask of decorum, she nodded in return unsure if that was enough but not confident enough of protocol to smile as she had at Anne. She felt a sudden pang at the knowledge of her part in their kidnappers demise that he had guessed and she looked at Thor. She must talk to him about it as son as she could as a secret between them felt uncomfortable although she still wondered anxiously how he would react to her part in the Jotuns deaths.

"Are you well, lass?" Thor said smiling broadly at one of his fathers jokes. " I could serve you with dessert as we used to if you like?" he teased and she both raised her eyes and a smile at that memory. " We need not be late to retire." he whispered in her ear blowing across it gently and making her shiver.

" People are being very friendly but there are just so many of them." she whispered to him and, as he leaned down to hear her words she breathed across the shell of her ear laughing softly at the long shiver that it caused to run through his big frame. He looked at her and she saw his eyes darken and felt her breath hitch along with his.

" Soon, we need to retire soon." he said quietly and she smiled at the roughened tone of his voice. He turned to his parents. "Father, my ladies leg is beginning to trouble her, I beg leave to return to our rooms."

"I am sorry for that," Odin looked across at her with a frown. 

"Perhaps we should summon a healer?" Frigga said looking over to them. 

"No, mother, we are to visit them tomorrow morning anyway and we have white pills. It will be eased by rest I am sure." Thor assured her as he rose. Mara stepped forward as he moved but he gestured her away and with a final wave towards his friends slipped her up into his arms and made his way towards the doors. Aris had stood forward when the party began to leave and Thor noticed him. " Lord Aris," he greeted him." I hope you are being well tended?"

"I have, the healers here are very thorough and your men have been civil. Volstag himself showed me to quarters." He said falling in beside them as they moved through the hall.

" Good, we left orders but these things can get overlooked, as you know." He shifted Loki in his arms. "I would have you come to meet me in our rooms but we are retiring, come to us in the morning." They were at the door already and Aris left them with a bow and as Loki lay back in Thor's arms she looked up at him as he strode swiftly along the corridors, he was so strong and proud that a niggle of doubt about her involvement with the kidnappers defeat settled in again. If Aris had not guessed then she might have kept her peace but now she worried that he might feel somehow diminished by her feat, he was so set on being their defender that her actions however helpful might reflect on his ability to protect them both. Their own doors were suddenly upon them and were opened by the one of the carl's as the three of them entered. 

Three of them. Oh!. Of course Mara would be there to help her prepare for bed as she had always done! Thor looked at the servant and then at her and raised his eyebrows, Loki blushed.

" Could you unfasten my plaits, Mara?" she asked." There are so many pins!" Thor seated her at her mirror and then sat himself on the bed to pull of his boots while the big woman silently undid her hair and allowed it to fall smoothly against her back. Then Loki had an idea, " Thank you, lady." she said and patted her maid's rough skinned arm. "Would you help me to the bathroom , husband, I would like to wash." 

Thor nodded and held her at waist and elbow to guide her safely into the closet before closing the door behind them. He was smiling broadly at her, his face questioning as he put his square hand on her cheek and stole a kiss. "Well, I can fight battles and beasts but telling your woman to go because I wish to ... know you better is too terrifying for me!" he grinned." I hope you have a plan to get her to leave!"

" We cannot tell her I am sick because she would wish to nurse me and the same if my leg ached." She frowned. " I cannot just dismiss her as it would hurt her feelings!" 

"Have you a routine? " he asked." Does it take long?"

" She always helps me to undress and sometimes we read or I tell her about my day." she sighed." It can take an hour or so." she said ruefully.

"An hour?" and now his face fell and his bright eyes grew as concerned as hers. "I do not think I can wait that long!"

She smiled a little at that, "Neither can I!" she agreed and she snuggled closer into him and with her softness against him he looked over her shoulder and noticed the bath again. She felt his body tense a little and looked up to follow his line of sight. It was her dark eyebrows that arched this time in elegant curve! 

" I will have to say you are too tired for company!" he said with a determined set to his jaw.

" She knows me too well and will know that for a mistruth by one look at me! No, it must be you who needs their rest!" she studied his strong features and sighed. "At least try and wilt a little!"

He tried vainly to slump his shoulders as he helped her to the door but in truth he was too healthy to seem weary she knew, but it would have to do as their excuse for they had no better! He pushed open the door and with a sigh they left the bathroom.

Nobody was in their living room and Loki assumed that her nurse had gone to turn down the bed as was her custom. No noise came from their bedroom either though and she exchanged a look with Thor before she called out rather than limp so far.

" Mara?" but there was no reply. "Mara?" she called a little louder and looked at him again. Thor helped her lean against the wall beside the bathroom door before going to the other room to investigate the silence. No one was in the living room or the bedroom either although the bad was turned down and the curtains drawn. He turned to her worried face with a broad smile of his own.

" Mara has proven wise and we are alone! " He said putting his hands round her narrow waist and picking her up to rest against his chest with a deep kiss. " But I think we should test that bath before we go to our bed, do you not agree, wife?" She said nothing but her hands slipped softly round his neck to tangle her fingers in his pale curls of his hair.


	29. A new normal.

The knock on the door the next morning was loud and clearly meant to be answered so Thor sat up with his hair in splendid disarray and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Loki stirred and watched him through half opened eyes and as he rose to go to the door she slid forward and caught his wrist in her slender fingers.

"Maid?" he asked his voice like gravel and silently she moved to sit behind him, he felt her fingers drag gently across his scalp to trap the worst of his disobedient locks in a loose cue. Still without talking, her aim achieved, he smiled as she all but fell back on to the softness of the bedding behind her with a long sigh and once again wriggled back under their covers.

It was Mara who waited beyond the door and who led him to where the same steward stood nervously awaiting him in the ante chamber and then she turned back towards the bedroom he assumed to attend Loki. He tried to wake up a bit gesturing the fellow to follow him into the reception area where he headed straight for a jug of water placed on the table before pouring himself a cup and drinking deeply.

"The king requests that you join him in the library." The man said nervously as Thor seated himself and handed him a letter. " He wishes that you and the Lady Loki would read his proposed reply to the Jotun King." Thor looked at the manuscript and then back at the steward.

"Thank you," he said gruffly and then cleared his throat. "We will study this and please tell my father that we will attend him before lunch as we have an appointment with the healers first." He rose and the other almost scuttled to the door, Thor watched him go, a little surprised as although he expected respect from his staff he did not court such nervousness and he made a point to make a special effort to be civil to the fellow when next they met. The bedroom was bright with sunshine from the big window now flung open when on his return he heard sounds from the bathroom so he went to pick out some clothes from his closet.

" Mara, I want him to... oh, husband, is all well?" Loki was already partly dressed in shift and a kirtle of the softest green brocade and he smiled thinking that she looked so fair despite their ordeal with even the bruise on her cheek was barely visible anymore . She was leaning heavily against Mara and although she was limping she was upright and her mouth was set in a determined line but when she saw him she gave him a bright smile. " I have taken two of the white pills and am keen to show an improvement for the healers. Mara does not approve!" 

"And neither do I, maid, it is scarcely three days since that idiot attacked you," he said moving to her side and picking her up immediately." I still want to break every one of his useless bones to punish his treatment of you. Slowly. very slowly." he hugged her closer to him and seemed to be savoring that thought.

"A mistake, love, we have to forget it all, that is what our parents ask." Loki said looking around to see where he was taking her. He slid her down on the sofa and plonked himself down beside her throwing an arm round her shoulders and pulling out the letter by his father. They read it together and then again but all it said was a sympathetic acknowledgement of the Jotun royal households loss couched in formal words. She snuggled into him when they finished reading knowing what she must do now.

"Do you still agree to allow closure in this way?" he asked nuzzling into her hair. "I understand why, but I feel we will have no revenge on our attackers." She looked up at him with troubled green eyes.

" I wish to leave it behind, I truly do, but before we can I have a confession." He sat a little back his eyebrows rising.

"A confession? you?" he asked surprised.

" The man who disappeared drawing water? I trapped and killed him by letting him fall upon his own blade!" she said the words tumbled from her mouth quickly and when she felt his draw a sharp breath to reply she held up her hand and without pausing for breath hurried on." And the horrible other, the cruel one who kicked you? I made Blackie push him from the cliff path!". It all sounded so unreal even to her own ears but her voice sped on. " I killed two men and even tried to kill my own brother!!

Thor stood up and away from her as she had feared he would and she stretched out her hands reflexively to pull herself into the comfort of her old nurses arms. How could he be expected to love a murderer she thought as she hid her face in the coarse hair of Mara's neck afraid to witness the disgust that must be written on his handsome face. Mara held her but then to her surprise she heard Thor laugh and felt strong fingers on her arms as she was turned around to face him. The pull unbalanced her ankle and she put her hand onto him to steady her before she was lifted off her feet and up into his embrace.

"Silly girl, I am only glad they are dead, they were fools, that knife you salvaged from the first saved us both but who is this Blackie that finished off that thug on the path? " She saw his white teeth parted in a grin inches from her eyes as he pulled her round to sit on his knee.

"My horse. I am so sorry you are angry ." she sniffed inelegantly through unbidden tears.

"Your horse killed that scum? That big black beast?" he sounded amused." Double rations for him for a month then!" he said rubbing a big thumb to brush her cheek dry. "Why would I be angry? Even if you had a hand in those men's death how could I be even more proud of you than I am already? " He spoke gently now drawing soothing circles on her back with the palm of his warm hand and she still heard a hint of amusement in his voice. She felt as if he was treating her as if she was a child who needed calming until she felt him dragging a soft kiss on the skin behind her ear and the fact that he simply seemed to be loosing interest in their conversation now she was not so distressed. Loki looked up at him, was it really so easy or him to try to kiss it better and the look on his benign face said it was? Thor had moved on from her worries and back into his pleasure at her touch and she was more than happy to follow him as she slipped her hand across the cords of muscle in his shoulders. Thor moved her a little closer to him on his lap to better reach the pulse point at the base of her throat and she bent her head to grant him access before a slight noise nearby froze her rigid before she slid quickly to the seat beside him. Thor pretended to pick up a pillow that had slipped onto the floor.

" Oh, Mara," Loki said quickly turning her face away from her servant to hide her blushes." could you fetch my green and blue bodice from the bedroom for we must leave shortly." The ogress silently complied and they looked at each other like guilty children before Thor's lips twitched and he snorted out a laugh, she looked at him in frustration before pushing his shoulder with her hand in reprimand. He only laughed more loudly and she felt her mouth move in a smile before she slipped an impassive mask across her features as Mara returned with her clothes.

xxx

Loki bit her lip at the gentle probing of the healers fingertips along the pale skin of her shin. Thor"s jaw was locked in anger as he stood behind her watching, an arm round her waist to balance her on the narrow bed as she answered a string of questions. The injured leg was a rainbow of bruises and the purple swelling around the break was darkest of all. 

" You did not tell ME that imbecile did it on purpose!" he hissed at her while the other man went to fetch a salve. " I will have him flogged before he is exiled!"

" He did not know who we were." Loki tried to keep her voice as level as she could with the pain. "There shall be no punishment to a soldier who was only doing his duty."

"He stamped on your leg hard enough to break it, Loki." He said his voice rising alongside his anger. " You will let me seek him out and beat him senseless at the least and if he survives it will be at the whim of the Norns! Then banishment. I will accept no less!"

" Husband, had he saved us by that means you would be the first to reward him would you not?" she said watching the healer's return with some anxiety, " Let him be." The salve was cold where the older man spread it liberally over her ankle and the leg above and the discomfort of his touch stilled her and made her grip Thor's arm more tightly. Thor held her closer against his side and she felt his cheek rest on her hair in sympathy for her pain.

"Does it heal satisfactorily, master? " he asked as the other worked. "How long will it take to mend."

" In the hundred times I have treated you here, my prince, what is always the answer to that question?" the healer said patiently not pausing in his work.

" That it will heal when it is ready, but this is my lady," he exclaimed." injured in my care, so this is more galling than any trivial knock I might receive in sparring!"

" Your concern for your wife is commendable, your majesty, and we will, of course, do our best." the man said calmly rebinding Loki's leg with fresh dressings." As you know these things take time but a little luck has meant that the skin did not break over the injury and it is therefore safe from canker and that their are two bones in the lower leg and it is the slighter one that was snapped. " he paused as he wiped his hands free of salve." The greater one acts as a splint in these cases so the healing should be more straight forward than many." 

" There, Loki," Thor's mood lifted in an instant and a grin split his face." Did I not say our healers are the finest?" she smiled thinly at him, shakily wondering if the deep, newly re-awoken ache in her limb was responsible for the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. She bit it down stubbornly trying to follow the list of instructions the old man was giving them while Thor was nodding, his face serious again. She watched as the healer gave him salve and a small bottle of the pain suppressing tablets before holding two out to her with a cup of water which she took gratefully. 

"You are young and it should heal quickly, my lady, but take things slowly as we have had you visit us too often already." He said in a kindly voice before turning to Thor with a firmer tone. " And you, prince, remember your young wife is not a shield maiden and the ill she has suffered of late should be the last." Thor looked downcast and Loki put a sympathetic hand on his.

" My husband has tended me most carefully and well, healer, I am in good hands." she said and his face brightened as he drew her back into his arms accidentally jolting her irritated leg so that she held back a sharp gasp behind clenched teeth. 

"I am glad to hear of it, lady ." the old man smiled benignly as he held his door open for them to leave.

"That went well, maid, that old fellow can have a sharp tongue and I thank you for your support against him." He said as a dark figure stood forth from the shadows."Ah, Aris, how did you find us?" Thor said as the other met them in the corridor that led from the healers rooms.

"The stewards know everything as in any palace." he shrugged falling in with them as they walked. "I hope it is only a routine visit and that your leg improves, lady."

"They are pleased, the bone has set well, thank you, lord." Loki answered the ache easing a little as the white pills took effect.

Thor said and then with a frown." We must talk of other important matters, jotun, after I return my lady to our room to recover from her treatment."

" I am yours, lord, as I find myself short of duties thus far." 

" When my lady is well and my own duties resume you will be well employed, believe me," Thor acknowledged." your Jotun language alone will be invaluable." they arrived at their suite." Wait here." 

Loki was very pleased to be in the haven of their apartment and when her husband let her slip back into the warmth of her favored white fur rug she breathed a long sigh of relief. Although she reveled in his company and fond touch she felt only a twinge of guilt at the wash of relief she felt to be left in peace as he went to attend the prearranged meeting with his father and Mara brought her another pillow and a delicious smelling warm drink. The day was definitely improving.


End file.
